El martes, el Concejo Municipal de Watsonville votó 5-2 a favor de reducir el uso de las cámaras Flock por parte del departamento de policía, después de una discusión de casi cinco horas que por momentos fue tensa.
Flock Safety cameras
Lookout news and Community Voices opinion coverage of Flock Safety automated license plate readers in Santa Cruz County.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville to cut Flock surveillance cameras from 37 to 20, tighten data rules
The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday voted 5-2 to scale back the police department’s use of Flock Safety cameras after an often-tense, nearly five-hour discussion.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville City Council to revisit Flock Safety contract one year after renewal, amid growing community concerns
The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday is scheduled to revisit its contract with Atlanta-based tech company Flock Safety. Councilmember Ari Parker suggested bringing the issue back for a public discussion after hearing concerns from community members.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
El Concejo Municipal de Watsonville volverá a analizar el contrato con Flock Safety un año después de su renovación
El Concejo Municipal de Watsonville tiene previsto volver a analizar el martes su contrato con la empresa tecnológica Flock Safety, con sede en Atlanta. La concejal Ari Parker propuso retomar el tema para una discusión pública después de escuchar las preocupaciones de miembros de la comunidad.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California Legislature kills bill regulating Flock cameras even as public rage grows
The California Legislature has failed several times since 2022 to regulate technology for automatically tracking vehicles — even as examples of abuse mount. This year was no exception.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Safety shouldn’t be a luxury: Why Flock and license plate readers can protect vulnerable communities
The debate over Flock and license plate recognition often pits privacy against public safety, but that framing misses those who might benefit most, writes retired engineer and local landlord Darius Mohsenin. For lower-income, immigrant and other vulnerable communities, a stolen car or unresolved burglary can threaten a family’s livelihood, not just its property, he writes. With strict privacy safeguards, transparent oversight and limits on data use, LPR technology can provide a more precise, equitable tool for solving crimes and finding missing people. The question isn’t whether this technology is perfect; it’s whether we can improve and govern it responsibly rather than deny communities a potentially powerful layer of protection.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville Flock debate gains momentum as councilmember rethinks support
After Santa Cruz ended its contract with Flock Safety, activists are stepping up efforts to persuade Watsonville to do the same — and at least one councilmember who previously supported the surveillance cameras is beginning to have second thoughts.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
El debate sobre Flock en Watsonville cobra impulso mientras un concejal reconsidera su apoyo
Después de que Santa Cruz rescindiera su contrato con Flock Safety, los activistas están intensificando sus esfuerzos para persuadir a Watsonville de hacer lo mismo; y al menos un concejal que anteriormente apoyaba las cámaras de vigilancia está empezando a reconsiderar su postura.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
After Santa Cruz banned Flock cameras, activists push to expand fight against license plate readers
Local grassroots group Get the Flock Out was chosen to kick off the National Week of Action Against Automated License Plate Readers in the Bay Area with a rally this Sunday. It’s meant to celebrate the City of Santa Cruz canceling its Flock Safety camera contract earlier this year, and to call attention to the nearly 50 cameras still active in Capitola and Watsonville, the group said.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Don’t Flock me’: California, U.S. lawmakers debate license plate reader technology
They’re all over our roads and really good at helping police solve crimes, but do California’s automated license plate readers need limits?
