Privacy concerns push Woodland to review Flock license plate reader policies
Woodland officials said they would continue reviewing how data from the city’s license plate reader cameras is collected, used and stored after residents raised privacy concerns during a City Council meeting last week.
At Tuesday’s meeting, several residents questioned the privacy and surveillance implications of the technology, including whether data collected by the cameras could be accessed by federal or out-of-state agencies.
Opposition to the system has continued in the month since the council approved a two-year contract with Flock Safety in early February. The agreement extends a yearslong partnership between the Woodland Police Department and the technology company, which has faced scrutiny over its surveillance and data collection practices.
The council’s decision came amid public pushback and questions from council members about how outside agencies might access data collected by the city’s 36 license plate readers and five security cameras.
Woodland City Manager Ken Hiatt said during the meeting that the concerns raised by residents were valid and warranted further review.
“The simple response at this point is we continue to look into each of the assertions that are being made and performing our own audit of how Flock is being used here in Woodland,” Hiatt said. “So the questions are not going unheard and the answers will be forthcoming.”
The cameras capture license plate numbers from passing vehicles and compare them with law enforcement databases. Police add plate numbers connected to suspected crimes to a “hotlist,” allowing the camera network to alert officers when those vehicles are detected.
Woodland police have said the technology has helped solve crimes, including cases involving stolen vehicles and missing persons, and has aided coordination with other California law enforcement agencies.
Much of the public concern centers on whether agencies outside of California could access the collected data.
Community members in Woodland and in other California cities where Flock contracts have been questioned or canceled have raised concerns that out-of-state or federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, could obtain information collected by the cameras.
In recent years, civil rights groups have accused some California law enforcement agencies of sharing license plate data with outside jurisdictions, including with states that criminalize traveling out of state for abortion or reproductive health services.
Some California cities have canceled their Flock contracts, including the Bay Area cities of Mountain View and Richmond. In Richmond, however, some residents have pushed to reinstate the program, according to news reports.
Woodland authorities, while acknowledging the concerns, say the public safety benefits of the technology outweigh potential privacy risks. The Police Department has said it controls which agencies can access the data and does not share information with agencies outside California, in accordance with state law.
“I know the staff is taking it seriously and working at it,” Mayor Tom Stallard said during Tuesday’s meeting, referring to the city’s response to residents’ questions.
Funding for the camera network comes partly from Woodland’s four approved cannabis dispensaries, which each contribute $20,000 annually toward the two-year contract approved last month. The contract is valued at up to $148,000 per year, and the city covers the remaining cost.
The dispensary agreements serve as a compromise, helping fund the camera system while eliminating the city’s previous requirement that marijuana retailers maintain a security guard on site around the clock.
