Flock cameras capture license plate and vehicle information 24 hours a day as cars pass through Bakersfield — and the Bakersfield Police Department’s own transparency portal shows the scale: more than 850,000 plate reads in the last 30 days.
BPD describes the cameras as an investigative tool used to help locate stolen vehicles, missing people, and vehicles connected to crimes. Plate data is retained for 30 days unless otherwise necessary, according to the portal.
But at a community meeting on August 19, residents and organizers raised questions not just about what the cameras can find — but about who can access what they collect…