The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors just pulled the plug on one of its biggest digital crime-fighting tools, cutting sheriff’s deputies off from a key stream of automated license plate reader data in Cupertino and Saratoga. Because the sheriff’s office is the contracted police force for those West Valley cities, the move effectively severs a major pipeline of real-time plate alerts overnight, following a year of audits and simmering backlash over data-sharing with federal agencies.
Board Vote And Immediate Effect
The board voted 3-2 to revise the county’s Surveillance Use Policy so that the sheriff cannot operate, manage, or touch the cameras, the data, transmission, or anything from ALPRs that are operated by Flock, Supervisor Betty Duong said, according to KQED. The restriction also covers Los Altos Hills. Supervisors stressed that the county cannot force cities to terminate their Flock contracts, so the cameras themselves can stay up even if deputies are locked out of the feeds.
How It Affects Cupertino And Saratoga
The Santa Clara County Sheriff, in a post on X, said it is required to stop accessing and operating automated license plate reader cameras in the City of Cupertino and the City of Saratoga, cutting local detectives off from the instant plate hits they had been using to flag suspect vehicles in some cases. Cupertino officials said they will review their contract and budget options as the city figures out its next move, according to ABC7.
What the License Plate Reader Shutdown Means for our West Valley Communities@SCCoSheriff is required to stop accessing and operating the automated license plate reader cameras in @CityofCupertino and @CityofSaratoga after the Board of Supervisors adopted a consolidated… pic.twitter.com/1y4O2GrwNl
— SantaClaraCoSheriff (@SCCoSheriff) February 27, 2026
Why Flock Prompted Backlash
Flock Safety landed in the crosshairs after audits and news reports revealed that some federal agencies could search local camera networks, stoking privacy and immigration fears. Mountain View and other nearby cities responded by shutting off or canceling Flock systems. One audit cited by reporters found a “nationwide” search setting turned on for at least one camera without local approval, which led Mountain View to terminate its contract, as reported by SFGATE.
Supervisors who supported the shift said the updated policy also tightens oversight, adding regular reporting and audits to make sure deputies do not tap into unauthorized ALPR data. The board will have to be notified right away if any county-controlled information is shared with federal agencies, according to KQED. Flock, for its part, has defended its system in statements to media, arguing that customers “control 100% of their data” and that it does not give federal agencies access without customer approval, as reported by ABC7.
Community Reaction
Privacy advocates and immigrant-rights groups filled the county chambers and rallied outside in the hours before the vote, urging supervisors to rein in what they see as mass surveillance tools and to keep sensitive data under tighter local control. Organizers with Silicon Valley DSA promoted the rally and encouraged residents to speak during public comment, and local coverage described dozens of speakers pressing for change, per Silicon Valley DSA and other reports…