What did Fresno decide?
The Fresno Bee reported that the city will not renew its contract with Flock Safety for automated license plate readers. Mayor Jerry Dyer announced the decision Friday at a news conference at City Hall, and the city plans to seek another company for its ALPRs.
The contract sunsets in February. City and police leaders said Flock has proven too susceptible to misuse to renew, and Dyer said the safeguards Flock put in place have not proven effective.
What did the contract cost?
The three-year contract dates to 2023, according to the report.
- About half a million dollars a year
- $1.5 million total
- Paid for through a state Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant
What changes for drivers?
The contract with Flock ends when it expires in February, and the city has said it will look for a replacement. The report does not say when a new system would go in or whether it would use the same cameras.
The decision covers Fresno's Flock contract and nothing else. The report does not say when the current Fresno cameras would be taken down.
Why are leaders leaving Flock?
Police Chief Mindy Casto pointed to a breach from "years ago" in which a small Midwest police department searched cameras across the country, including in Fresno, for a reason described only as "immigration." She said California police departments are not allowed to share data with agencies outside the state.
The report also notes that a Fresno police officer is under investigation for allegedly misusing Flock cameras for reasons unconnected to a criminal investigation. Casto and Dyer said the city does not share data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Casto defended the cameras as a crime tool. She shared figures showing crime has fallen since 2021 in several categories, and credited the cameras in part.
What happens next?
Councilmember Nick Richardson said he will introduce a citywide ordinance to regulate surveillance cameras. The report does not give a date for its introduction. Council member-elect Ariana Martinez-Lott and Naindeep Singh, who is leading his race, have been critical of the Flock contract. Dyer, Casto and Richardson said the replacement plans predate this week's election.
The next concrete date is the February contract end, since no date has been set for the ordinance introduction. Residents who want to see which cameras are on their street can check the camera map and learn how plate readers work.