Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Surveillance Cameras topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press council on automated license‑plate cameras; staff says devices are county installations
Summary
Two public commenters raised privacy and cybersecurity concerns about automated license‑plate readers at Washington/Northcrest; Chief Griffin and staff said the cameras were installed by the county and the city currently lacks direct access despite a prior MOU.
Public commenters urged clearer public process and safeguards after automated license‑plate-reader cameras were observed near Washington and Lake Earl Drive. Kate Clawson asked the council: "I am wondering if you have anything that you can share with us about the cameras, the surveillance camera that is at the corner of Washington And Lake Earl Drive." She said residents worry about how data will be used and expressed uncertainty about who is installing and managing the hardware.
A second commenter with cybersecurity experience said the cameras appeared to be Flock Safety devices and urged a moratorium until the public has had a chance to discuss them, citing technical vulnerabilities and a 78‑page white paper listing national vulnerabilities. He told the council the cameras had been placed without a city public meeting and argued for due process under California law.
Chief Griffin responded for city staff, saying: "All those cameras are outside of city limits. It was not done by the city. Those are county cameras." He explained the devices operate as license‑plate readers used as an investigative tool, that access currently includes other agencies, and acknowledged both the utility in investigations (he cited a recent child‑rescue case) and the potential for misuse when access controls fail. City staff said the county deployed the cameras and that the city had explored an MOU to obtain access but does not currently use the system.
