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Oakland Activates Flock Plate Readers for Speed Enforcement Following $2.25 Million Council Vote

The move proceeds as privacy advocates warn that the company’s data-sharing has reached federal immigration authorities.

Overview

  • Cameras were installed at 18 locations, with a 60-day warning period before speeding citations begin in mid-March.
  • The City Council approved the contract in a 7-1 vote, maintaining a 293-camera system and working with Verra Mobility to run the program.
  • The Oakland Police Department says Flock data factored into about 10% of arrests and calls the technology one of its most effective crime-fighting tools.
  • Opposition centers on reports of ICE access to license-plate data, Flock’s admission of a secret DHS pilot, and a national lookup network that includes roughly 75% of customers.
  • Several cities — including Santa Cruz, Austin and Cambridge — have paused or ended Flock deals, even as Oakland presses ahead with speed enforcement.