Overview
- Police Chief Mike Canfield ordered all 30 cameras turned off immediately, citing a loss of confidence in Flock after data-sharing controls failed.
- An audit found a “nationwide” lookup was enabled without authorization from August to November 2024, exposing Mountain View data to ATF offices, Langley Air Force Base, the GSA inspector general, Lake Mead National Recreation Area and an Ohio Air Force base.
- The department also discovered a “statewide” search on 29 of 30 cameras in violation of program rules, and a newsroom investigation reported more than 250 California agencies had queried the city’s data without approval.
- Flock says sharing settings are controlled by agencies and it holds no contract with ICE, while California law bars sharing ALPR data with out-of-state or federal agencies without a state court order.
- Bay Area responses vary as Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills ended Flock contracts, Santa Clara County delayed renewal for a review, Woodland extended its deal, and Minnesota agencies adjusted access or ended contracts over governance concerns.