El Cerrito Is Removing Its Controversial Flock Cameras

EL CERRITO, CA — El Cerrito will be taking down license plate reading cameras around the city in the coming weeks after city leaders voted not to renew its contract with Flock Safety, police said.

The decision to end its contract with Flock Safety and remove the cameras comes after public outcry and a campaign from a community group known as "Flock out of El Cerrito," according to NBC.

The Flock Safety cameras, despite a flickering light that displays when cars pass by and is activated by motion, have stopped capturing images since the company's contract with the city expired on June 6, the El Cerrito Police Department said.

Police say they're working with Flock Safety to remove all the cameras in El Cerrito by Tuesday, Aug. 18.

"While this is the anticipated timeframe provided by Flock, the Police Department will continue to monitor the progress to ensure the removal process is completed," El Cerrito police said.

Threat to Privacy or a Helpful Tool?

Police departments say Flock Safety cameras and other automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, are valuable tools for solving crimes, recovering stolen vehicles and finding missing or endangered people.

Flock CEO Garrett Langley said last month that on a single day, its automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, sent alerts on 4,144 sex offenders, 2,151 stolen cars, 1,687 wanted people, 158 missing people and kids, and an AMBER alert. Three children were rescued in Dothan, Alabama; Charlotte, North Carolina; and North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

The Atlanta-based company said recently it has deployed 120,000 cameras across 49 states. Flock’s customers include not only more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies in 6,000 cities, but also local governments, businesses, schools, homeowner associations, property operators, and other private customers.

But Flock cameras have been controversial amongst civil rights groups, who say they are a threat to privacy because they track and collect data on everyone, even people not suspected of committing a crime.

Concerns have also grown over the use of cameras by police departments nationwide. Many officers have been accused of misusing the cameras to stalk people, even romantic partners, according to the Institute for Justice.

SEE ALSO: Crime-Solving Tool Or Mass Surveillance: Inside Flock’s Camera Network

There have also been concerns over police departments' sharing of Flock data with government agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Flock states the company doesn't personally provide data to agencies such as ICE, and that any data they get is from its relationships with other law enforcement agencies.

State’s law enforcement agencies are barred from sharing license plate reader data outside of the state due to California law. Law enforcement agencies, however, have repeatedly violated this law, according to CalMatters.

"It has been misused by police to spy on their ex-partners and could be used to target people engaged in First Amendment activities or seeking medical care,” the EFF wrote in a blog post.

The American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation have called the expanding network a form of mass surveillance and urged communities to require warrants, restrict data sharing, shorten retention periods and conduct regular audits.

A Washington Post investigation found that at least 50 law enforcement officers have been charged with or accused of misusing license plate reader systems, including 46 cases involving Flock.

In 26 cases, officers allegedly used the technology to track wives, girlfriends, former partners, romantic rivals or women they wanted to meet, sometimes searching their vehicles hundreds of times or adding them to alert lists.

'Meant to Keep us Safe'

While civil rights groups have launched campaigns against these cameras, some people across the country have taken the matter into their own hands.

Last month, a man in Monterrey County intentionally ran over and damaged three Flock Safety cameras, according to authorities.

Jeff Sovern, an Air Force engineer, was arrested and charged last year on suspicion of cutting down 13 Flock cameras in Virginia, according to Military.com, which said the defendant argued the cameras were unconstitutional.

"My name is Jeff, and I appreciate my privacy," Sovern said in a fundraiser made after his arrest to help with his legal fees. "I appreciate everyone's right to privacy, enshrined in the Fourth Amendment."

Despite concerns and the controversy surrounding the embattled company, many cities across the country, including in the East Bay, remain committed to keeping them up.

Berkeley extended its contract with Flock Safety in May, but halted a proposal that would have added more cameras and drones, according to KQED.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors earlier this year also approved a $2.4 million contract with Flock Safety, according to The Oaklandside.

"These cameras are meant to keep us safe," Supervisor David Haubert said before voting in favor of the contract, according to The Oaklandside. "I don’t believe that they are widely used by ICE. Has it been that it’s happened? I don’t think it’s widely used by the federal government. I don’t think it’s used to surveil people."

Editor Beth Dalbey contributed to this report.