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Residents urge Roseville to suspend Flock Safety ALPR network, citing misreads and privacy risks
Summary
Multiple residents told the Roseville City Council on Aug. 5 that the city should suspend or end its contract with Flock Safety, arguing the automated license-plate readers produce frequent misreads, expose sensitive location data and have been misused in other jurisdictions.
A string of public commenters at the Aug. 5 Roseville City Council meeting urged the city to suspend or terminate its contract with Flock Safety, the maker of automated license-plate readers (ALPRs) used in Roseville. Curtis Ostrom told the council the systems “fail, they are misused, and frequently do more harm than good,” and cited reporting that many alerts contained misread plates.
Several speakers amplified the safety and privacy concerns. Zoe, who said she obtained a 2023–2026 Auburn–Roseville data-sharing agreement, told the council audits were required every 60 days under that agreement and asked why problems had only now surfaced. Armando warned that even a small misread can have “terrifying” consequences at traffic stops and cited national examples where ALPR errors led to dangerous police encounters.
Residents also raised civil‑liberties arguments. Will, a District 4 resident, said the quoted misread rate—frequently referenced in testimony as a 71 percent figure from reporting—amounted to an unacceptable performance level for a public‑safety technology and argued the city should not continue investing taxpayer funds in a system that could fuel mistaken felony alerts. Multiple speakers asked staff to suspend data sharing and to review whether out‑of‑state or federal entities had access to local ALPR records.
City staff did not take action at the meeting but committed to publishing an educational op‑ed on Monday that will describe city policy and process around the cameras. The public comment sequence concluded without a staff motion to change the contract; several speakers asked council members to direct staff to return with options for suspension or termination.
