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Dozens of residents urge Costa Mesa council to cancel Flock ALPR contract
Summary
More than 70 speakers filled council chambers to oppose Flock Safety cameras, citing privacy, immigrant safety, and documented misuse. Speakers included local nonprofits, youth groups, civil-rights organizations and many long-time residents who called for physical removal of the cameras.
An unusually large public turnout produced an extended series of speakers who urged the City Council to terminate the city's Flock Safety automated license-plate reader contract.
Speakers from Underground Grit, Resilience OC, Sunrise OC, the ACLU of Southern California and local neighborhood leaders and students described fears that the cameras create permanent records of daily movements and could be used, intentionally or not, for immigration enforcement or other intrusive investigations. "This warrantless surveillance represents a direct threat to our community's privacy and dignity," said Crystal Guerra of Underground Grit. Several commenters specifically cited a former Costa Mesa officer's admitted misuse of ALPR access as evidence the system can be abused.
Advocates asked the council to remove cameras and redirect the roughly $151,800 annual cost to community services for youth and public-safety programs. City staff and council members acknowledged the depth of community concern; the council ultimately voted to direct staff to produce stronger contract protections rather than immediately terminate the MSA.
