Baca says Flagstaff must balance new technology for first responders with privacy and data limits
Candidate for Flagstaff City Council
“While the sitting council already made its decision regarding the nonrenewal of the Flock contract, the conversation is far from over. This is not the last time our community will be faced with balancing technology and privacy while also providing support to our first responders. Departments remain understaffed and we must evaluate emerging technologies that can help increase the safety of responders and citizens alike. As we move forward, we must also be thoughtful about privacy, how long data is retained and who has access to it.”
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Arizona Daily Sun feature in its 2026 candidate question series, printing the written answers of Flagstaff City Council and mayoral candidates to a question about Flock cameras. The paper says the answers were limited to 150 words and printed unedited unless a candidate went over that limit.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The Arizona Daily Sun asked the Flagstaff City Council and mayoral candidates on the November ballot where they stood on Flock cameras and their potential use in Flagstaff. The paper printed their written answers, limited to 150 words and unedited unless a candidate exceeded that limit.
After the quotation
Baca's written answer consisted of this single paragraph. Other candidates' answers in the same article describe the council's December 2025 decision to cancel the Flock contract.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Baca did not call for a ban or for bringing Flock back; she said the city must evaluate emerging technologies that can help first responders while being careful about how long data is kept and who can see it. That is openness to the technology subject to data limits, so Mixed or conditional fits.
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- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Flock Safety
Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
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