Dozens urge Monterey Park to end Flock contract, citing privacy and data-sharing concerns

Forty in-person speakers used the meeting's public comment period to press the City Council to end Monterey Park's contract with Flock Safety and to provide greater transparency about license-plate data retention and sharing. Commenters cited national news reports and local audits alleging misuse of ALPR networks and expressed distrust of Flock's ownership and access terms.

"These tools observe the surveillance state," said Bosco Wu (speaker 13), one of the first commenters, summarizing the concerns raised repeatedly from the podium. Stephen Kung (speaker 15) said "234 agencies already have access to all the flock cameras at Monterey Park," and warned the existing network creates opportunities for abuse. Other residents provided examples and statistics they said called Flock's effectiveness into question and urged the council to "deflok" the city.

A handful of speakers defended the technology. One resident said the system is a useful investigative tool and that even if it costs public money, "if it only once happen, help save 1 life, I think that's more than a $100,000 a year" (speaker 3). The council listened and directed staff and the chief to present fuller information at the scheduled community forum next week, when officials plan to demonstrate searches and the department's audit processes.