Overview
- The City Council’s Public Safety Committee deadlocked 2-2 late Tuesday, stopping the proposal from advancing to the full council.
- Oakland police had sought a two-year contract extension to add up to 40 Flock cameras and continue operating roughly 300 devices already in the city.
- Roughly 200 people signed up to comment, with supporters citing crime-solving and vehicle recovery and opponents warning of civil-liberties and sanctuary-city risks.
- Police said camera data is owned by the city, deleted after 30 days unless tied to an active case, and not shared with out-of-state or federal agencies including ICE, while Flock touts improved clearance rates since 2024.
- The vote comes as scrutiny of Flock grows regionally, with a lawsuit accusing Oakland of lax data controls, an EFF/ACLU suit targeting San Jose’s use, and Santa Cruz pausing a statewide search system over federal-access concerns.