Flock license plate readers
Summary
Nine residents challenged the city's use of Flock ALPR cameras, citing data sharing with 1,200+ outside agencies, denied records requests, vendor redactions of audit trails, and immigration-enforcement searches elsewhere in the network. Chief Drake defended the $21,000/year system as a life-saving investigative tool; the council took no action and several members want more information before any renewal decision.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 10
- Last 30 days
- 0
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Sep 22, 2026.
Impact analysis
The system costs $21,000 per year — about one-fifth the cost of an additional officer.
Police investigations and public safety — the chief cited cases from sexual assault arrests to a fatal hit-and-run solved in another state.
Residents and commuters concerned about pervasive plate logging and unverified use of their data by outside agencies.
Mentions & discussions (2)
City Council — September 22, 2026
Nine residents challenged the city's use of Flock ALPR cameras, citing data sharing with 1,200+ outside agencies, denied records requests, vendor redactions of audit trails, and immigration-enforcement searches elsewhere in the network. Chief Drake defended the $21,000/year system as a life-saving investigative tool; the council took no action and several members want more information before any renewal decision.
City Council — January 13, 2026
Brookings police use seven Flock Safety license plate readers that log every passing vehicle. A resident says his request for data on his own car was denied, and he questions who can access the data and whether the system is effective given the company's cybersecurity problems.
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