Oakland approves $2M surveillance camera plan

Oakland police will proceed to make use of a large surveillance community of practically 300 cameras to trace automobiles all through town below a $2.25 million contract authorized by the Metropolis Council on Tuesday.

Your entire council authorized the take care of the Georgia-based firm Herd safety except Councilor Carroll Fife, who voted, in her phrases, “Flock no.”

Council members Charlene Wang and Rowena Brown every made a slew of modifications to the contract, limiting which different businesses can entry Oakland’s Flock information and for what functions. The corporate has come below scrutiny over experiences that information from its cameras – often called automated license plate readers or ALPRs – has been used to surveil folks who have had abortions, keep an eye on demonstratorsAnd to track down undocumented immigrants for deportation.

Some cities do cancelled or paused their use of Flock due to these issues or after discovering out concerning the firm deceived them.

A number of leaders who authorized the contract Tuesday stated they don’t seem to be all in on Flock, however don’t have any downside persevering with its use given the established guardrails.

“We do not attempt for perfection,” stated Council Member Zac Unger. “This isn’t Orwellian facial recognition know-how – it is banned in Oakland. The way in which ahead right here is so as to add as many amendments as attainable.”

Can Oakland thank Flock for decrease crime?

Of their pitch to the council Tuesday, OPD representatives confirmed arrest statistics and crime information.

Oakland police made 232 arrests between July 2024 and November of this yr based mostly on information from Flock license plate readers, Lt. Gabriel Urquiza stated.

The information additionally led the division to get better 68 weapons. A regional job drive that depends on cameras in Alameda County has reportedly discovered 1,100 stolen automobiles from their data.

These arrests and gun recoveries symbolize a small portion of the full license plate scans from Flock’s cameras in Oakland. The corporate’s 293 Oakland cameras captured license plate numbers and different info on 1.4 million automobiles final month. according to Flock.

OPD retains the information scanned by the cameras for 30 days, however retains info associated to particular investigations for longer. Urquiza advised the council that OPD has shared Flock information with 50 different legislation enforcement businesses so far.

Crime has usually declined within the interval since Oakland began utilizing Flock. The variety of murders fell from 126 in 2023 to 86 in 2024. By the top of November, 59 murders had been dedicated in 2025. Based on OPD, there has additionally been a 66% lower in carjackings and a 53% lower in homicides.

“We carried out Flock in 2024 and also you instantly see a big drop,” says Urquiza, displaying graphs with downward pattern strains. With OPD staffing at simply 509 sworn officers, the division wants instruments like Flock to complement meager patrols, he stated.

Many public audio system and some council members questioned the hyperlink between Flock and low crime. Plenty of different components, such because the pandemic’s restoration and Oakland’s anti-violence program, might have performed a serious function, they stated. Throughout the nation, violent crime, together with homicides, rose sharply at first of the pandemic and then fell down previously two years, together with in cities and counties that don’t use license plate readers.

Analysis has supported the concept the ceasefire has helped cut back crime in Oakland. There are presently no impartial research displaying that OPD’s use of Flock cameras is said to the present lower in crime.

An effort is being made so as to add guardrails

The Wang and Brown amendments partially prohibit Flock from giving the federal authorities or different out-of-state businesses entry to information from Oakland’s cameras, and so they stop Flock from permitting Oakland’s information to seem in nationwide or multi-state searches. If Flock violates these provisions, the corporate should pay Oakland as much as $200,000.

The amendments additionally prohibit OPD from sharing digicam information with different businesses for the aim of “criminalizing reproductive or gender-affirming well being care” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law additionally prohibits sharing license plate reader information with the federal authorities, and since Oakland is a sanctuary metropolis, OPD is just not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

Moreover, when legislation enforcement businesses in California request information from OPD, they have to affirm that they’ll observe state legislation. However reports found that when the information is within the fingers of different authorities, they don’t all the time adhere to the principles.

A former member of Oakland’s Privateness Advisory Fee — which didn’t help the brand new contract — has sued OPD, alleging the division violated its personal data-sharing guidelines.

Some council members advised the viewers that they have been initially skeptical of Flock — although the council unanimously authorized its use in Oakland in 2024 — however finally got here to consider the cameras have been necessary public security instruments so long as the correct restrictions have been in place.

“If there may be even the slightest indication that this firm is committing a violation, we’ll terminate the contract,” Ramachandran stated.

Councilman Ken Houston made clear his unqualified help for the contract when he initiated council dialogue on the subject by streaming ten minutes of a video produced by the Metropolis Council. Oakland Alliance for Public Safetythat includes a montage of Oakland residents and entrepreneurs supporting Flock. The alliance is led by leaders of District Legal professional Pamela Value’s recall marketing campaign and trade representatives.

“If they arrive out deep, we are able to come out deep,” Houston stated, referring to the Flock critics who spoke in the course of the public remark interval and accused them of spreading a “false narrative.”

Observers within the Home and on-line have been confused as they tried to decipher whether or not the councilor had given members of the general public the knowledge middle finger whereas they have been speaking. Houston didn’t instantly reply to a query about this.

Intense opposition, fervent help

The 145 neighborhood members who signed up to discuss the surveillance cameras at Tuesday’s assembly — about two-thirds opposed and a 3rd in favor — narrowly exceeded the gang current at a raucous November Public Security Fee assembly.

That committee was break up on the time and rejected the proposal, however when OPD introduced it again to the council’s planning committee this month, officers agreed to maneuver it to the complete council for a vote.

OPD advised officers there was urgency in approving the merchandise as a result of with out the brand new contract the cameras would exit on the finish of the yr. Town is a part of a one-year contract with Flock by way of the California Freeway Patrol, which technically expired in March, based on the division.

The revival of the contract proposal after it didn’t go the committee angered Flock critics. Lots of them accused the council of being “anti-democratic” and went out of their solution to remind them that that they had skipped work to return to the unusually early Tuesday assembly. Different audio system stated Oakland wants all the general public security instruments it will probably get its fingers on.

“One factor I discover disturbing is the flippant perspective towards deaths,” stated one pro-Flock speaker, turning to the gang and talking in a mocking voice, “since you assume it is cool to be in opposition to the police.”

Jim Donatell, whose neighborhood put in its personal Flock cameras, stated the know-how helped OPD deal with a “main, violent afterthought” close to their properties. The cameras took 337 scans of license plates from automobiles on the sideshow, which the neighborhood despatched to OPD, which used them to “take three automobiles off the road,” Donatell stated.

A majority of commenters advised the council that continued use of Flock represented a slide towards authoritarianism, placing susceptible Oakland residents in danger.

“You’re doing extra to advance Trump’s agenda in Oakland than anybody else,” stated James Montgomery. “They’re AI-enabled surveillance programs with a documented historical past of horrific privateness violations.”

OPD has stated the division up to date its contract with Flock to stop machine studying from Oakland information after listening to issues from the Privateness Advisory Fee.

“My mother and father have been Holocaust survivors,” stated one other speaker, “who have been hunted by a regime that hated our folks.” Surveillance know-how like Flock is “threateningly acquainted,” he stated. “Flock has proven time and time once more that it can’t be trusted with the information it collects. A yes-to-Flock vote makes you complicit on this horror present.”

Fife, Flock’s solely opponent on stage, stated her concern is just not about cameras typically or Oakland’s insurance policies, however concerning the firm specifically. Flock cameras are simple to hack, she stated.

Earlier this yr, impartial researchers revealed articles and movies explaining how they have been in a position to hack into Flock’s digicam programs and achieve entry to information. The corporate responded final month, telling clients that it’s “dedicated to repeatedly bettering safety.”

“I perceive the significance of pursuing higher public security. I need to be sure that our most susceptible residents are additionally protected,” Fife stated.

The modifications authorized Tuesday require the Oakland Police Division to conduct a public seek for the following ALPR vendor whereas the two-year contract is in impact.