Berkeley police spent yesterday listening to a steady stream of residents weighing in on a plan to expand the department’s Flock Safety surveillance network, shifting from only automated license plate readers to fixed video cameras in busy commercial and student corridors. Critics warned the move would expand day-to-day surveillance in a city that has long guarded its civil liberties reputation, while police argued the technology would sharpen investigations into auto theft and retail crime. The tense back-and-forth showed just how sharply surveillance tools can split opinion in Berkeley.
The hearing drew dozens of speakers who pressed the department on how license plate reads and video images might be stored and shared, according to KTVU. Students, business owners and civil-liberties advocates lined up to warn that a wider camera network could chill movement and undercut trust in Berkeley’s status as a sanctuary city.
The latest proposal builds on a 2023 program that authorized automated license plate readers at up to 52 locations. The City of Berkeley says the department began rolling out the ALPR network in late 2024, with some sites already operating and others still waiting on permits. City officials also point to early results from the rollout, including arrests and recovered vehicles, as evidence that the system can help investigators close cases.
What police say
Police officials told council members the proposed video cameras are meant primarily as an investigative tool, not as a constantly watched live feed. “Live video will not be monitored unless it is to confirm reports of an ongoing crime,” Police Chief Jen Louis said, as reported by CBS Bay Area.
Privacy and data-sharing concerns
Opponents countered that Flock’s system, which logs plate reads and vehicle details, can build a long record of where people travel and when, raising serious privacy concerns, according to coverage by Berkeleyside. Berkeley police have said they will follow local rules and do not allow ALPR data to be used for federal immigration enforcement, but residents pushed for clearer and enforceable limits on how long data is kept and with whom it can be shared…