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Resident raises privacy questions about Flock license-plate reader; police describe investigative benefits
Summary
A resident reviewed publicly available Flock reports and suggested contract limits may not prevent long-term retention in statewide/national databases; police described recent cases where ALPR data aided hit-and-run, runaway and fraud investigations and outlined regular audits.
Resident Daniel Sweeney said his review of Flock's community portal and state data flows raised concerns about data retention and third-party access, noting that although a municipal contract may state a 30-day retention period, downstream systems can hold related records far longer. "We have a contract that says we have 30 days but we don't have 30 days. It's a year," Sweeney said, summarizing his findings about how LEADS and other systems may retain records beyond the provider's 30-day window.
Police representatives replied that the department uses Flock primarily as a reactive investigative tool and described recent operational outcomes: multiple hit-and-run investigations aided by Flock data, recovery of a runaway juvenile and faster fraud and theft case development. Police said internal audits of search reasons are performed and stated that they limit searches for immigration-related reasons. The exchange prompted council to note the technology's public-safety benefits while recognizing privacy concerns and the need for oversight.
