Three Contra Costa County cities say they will continue utilizing Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras provided by Atlanta-based vendor Flock Safety to help solve crimes
At Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, the Santa Cruz City Council Chambers were full of people in favor of terminating the city’s contract with Flock Safety for automated license plate readers. Many held signs proclaiming “Get the Flock Out” or “Vote no on ALPR” .
BRENTWOOD — While others in the Bay Area may have ended or are reviewing contracts with Flock Safety cameras over privacy concerns, three East Contra Costa County cities said they will continue using the controversial surveillance technology. Police departments in Brentwood, Antioch and Oakley say they have been using the automated license plate recognition cameras to help solve crimes, recover stolen vehicles or locate suspects. The Brentwood Police Department said it had “no intentions” of stopping its use of Flock cameras. The department was “pleased” with the changes made by the company in safeguarding its sharing capabilities, said Lt. Michael Thompson.“All these features are enabled,” Thompson told this news organization. “Furthermore, Brentwood PD Policy states, Brentwood Police Department will not share ALPR data with federal or out-of-state agencies.”The Brentwood Police Department also conducts internal audits as well as reviews with Flock’s customer success team. The city has utilized Flock license plate readers since April 16, 2025, and currently has 62 devices across the city. The system cost $113,550 in its first year, which included installation, with an annual recurring expense of $105,000. Flock cameras have helped the department with more than 100 investigations, resulting in about 25 case closures involving robberies, thefts, outstanding warrants and missing persons, said Thompson.Antioch Police Department, which has been using 13 Flock cameras since September 2025, said the department has “multiple police administrators” that manage access and that a specific California-only sharing setting is used to ensure data does not leave the state.Whitaker said the department is also working on a transparency portal with Flock. “I’ve seen it, and it works very well. We’ll put up a link when it’s up and available on our city website and you can click into that link and see anybody that we’re sharing with,” said Whitaker.Oakley Police Department has been operating five license plate reader cameras since 2021, costing the city $12,500 per fiscal year. Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard said the department conducted an audit in 2025 to ensure it was not sharing data with anyone other than state agencies. “If an agency sends a request for us to share data, we determine the geographical location of the requestor and we only allow sharing permissions to California agencies,” said Beard. “The usage of Flock cameras have been very beneficial in locating vehicles that have been used in the commission of crimes and in locating those vehicles we have also been able to make contacts with persons of interest or suspects, and those contacts have led to some arrests and successful prosecutions.”The department has an existing license plate recognition system, which it purchased from a different vendor years ago.“We complete annual audits of our connections with allied agencies, are not connected to any federal or out-of-state agencies, and are fully compliant with SB 34,” said Albanese, referring to California Senate Bill 34, which was passed in 2015.Miss Manners: Did I warrant the scolding for eavesdropping at a restaurant?Asking Eric: They nixed my vacation idea, then they all went without meAllegations of abuse against Chavez shock Bay Area, where his name adorns dozens of landmarksMystery Man: Police have no idea who this Bay Area man is, but he's charged with a federal crimeCalifornia mom was warned about dangerous cooking habits before fire killed 2 girls, police say What’s the state of the California governor’s race? New poll shows voters are ‘disengaged and largely unenthusiastic’ What's the state of the California governor's race? New poll shows voters are 'disengaged and largely unenthusiastic'
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