The Oakland City Council has voted, with a majority of 7 to 1, to enter into a renewed two-year contract valued at $2 million with surveillance firm Flock Safety. This move will maintain Flock Safety's network of automated license plate-reading cameras in Oakland streets. According to KTVU, the contract includes the potential integration of privately owned security cameras into Flock's system. Councilmember Carroll Fife was the lone vote opposing the decision, succinctly declaring, "Flock no!" during the four-hour discussion that preceded the vote.
Despite the approval, concerns remain amongst residents regarding how this data might be shared – specifically with federal law enforcement agencies, which could include immigration officers. The Oakland Police Department has countered these worries, consistently stating that the collected data is not shared. Yet, reports from the San Francisco Chronicle highlighted that Oakland police have shared data from the camera systems with federal agencies in the past, further igniting public displeasure and prompting Richmond police to halt their Flock camera system after a system configuration error was detected.
Oakland police tout the effectiveness of the technology, citing a 42% decline in vehicle theft reported through 2025 compared to the previous year. They also credit the cameras for aiding in the arrest of suspects involved in various criminal activities. Nonetheless, two members of the city's Privacy Advisory Commission resigned last month, expressing frustration with elected officials who pressed ahead with surveillance technologies despite the commission's concerns.
Amid the contentious debate, Oakland police representatives sought to reassure the public. Lt. Gabriel Urquiza confirmed that "the system does not capture images of people and does not use facial recognition technology." Carlo Beckman, head of IT for the police department, assured that Oakland retains ownership of all collected data and that it is exclusively accessed by Oakland police, acknowledging that it could be subpoenaed or ordered by a court. Finally, Councilmember Charlene Wang emphasized the demand for safety by immigrant communities, saying, "A vote for this system is not a vote to support ICE. Immigrants in Oakland are asking for safety — not just from deportation — but from violence and crime," as she conveyed during the council session, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
