Overview
- Berkeley’s City Council approved a 12-month renewal in a 5–4 vote Thursday night for license-plate reader cameras that scan and log passing vehicles, costing about $200,000.
- A separate 8–1 vote blocked a larger package that would have added drones, more cameras and new investigative software, and the city will now seek bids from other vendors.
- A leaked memo from the city attorney warned Flock may be unable to prevent sharing with outside or federal agencies, pointing to cases where out-of-state users and Border Patrol searched the system.
- During the hearing, a Flock spokesperson said the company changed its system to stop any out-of-state data sharing, which critics in this sanctuary city disputed.
- Nearby El Cerrito declined to renew its deal this week, while Alameda County approved a short extension in April, leaving a patchwork of surveillance policies across the East Bay.