Costa Mesa City Hall turned into a full house this week as residents and immigrant advocates pressed the City Council to cut ties with Flock Safety, the private company running the city’s growing network of automated license-plate reader cameras. Their push sets the stage for a key vote on July 21, when councilmembers are expected to decide whether to end the lease amid mounting worries about data misuse and the possibility that footage could leak beyond California law enforcement agencies.
What the city paid and how many cameras are in place
City records show Costa Mesa first leased 31 Flock Safety automated license-plate readers in June 2022 and later authorized 15 more, building out a 46-camera network across the city. According to City of Costa Mesa Legistar, the leases were funded with up to $306,900 from general funds and about $153,750 from an Organized Retail Theft grant.
Police say the system helps solve crimes
Costa Mesa police have credited the camera network with more than 100 felony arrests and the recovery of roughly 80 stolen vehicles in its first year of operation. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the department estimated that the recovered vehicles were valued at nearly $1.3 million.
Misuse that spurred the backlash
The “Get the Flock out of Costa Mesa” campaign surged after a former officer admitted using department databases and Flock camera searches to stalk a woman. He was fired and later pleaded guilty. In April, Hoodline detailed the case in an article headlined cop busted for using police databases, and local outlets reported that prosecutors said the officer relied on Flock and CLETS searches to track vehicles tied to his victims. That history helped prompt an April council request for an in-depth audit of the police department’s ALPR use.
Legal questions under California law
Privacy advocates are grounding their arguments in California’s automated license-plate reader statute, Senate Bill 34, along with recent state enforcement moves. The California Attorney General’s enforcement action against El Cajon is a prominent touchstone, according to NBC 7 San Diego, and national watchdogs such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation have documented patterns of cross-jurisdictional searching and misuse that critics say undercut Flock’s privacy safeguards.
City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly said the police chief will present a report and information on possible alternatives at the July 21 meeting, after which the council will vote on whether to terminate the lease. Councilmember Mike Buley told the Los Angeles Times, “If you want me to join the ‘Get the Flock Out’ campaign you’re going to have to state a credible argument that the substantial risks we’ve heard outweigh the benefits,” a comment that underscores how much the final decision may hinge on how councilmembers weigh public-safety gains against privacy risks…