California: Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?

Helen Krieger said West Hollywood should develop its own digital privacy policy that could map where residents can expect privacy, set a public process for adopting surveillance technology and allow certain cameras only with a person reviewing each image.

Joel Zaldivar said he stands firmly against the use of Flock cameras, arguing that privacy should be treated as sacred even though the cameras have helped solve some crimes.

West Hollywood council candidate Chiedu Egbuniwe said he is very much against the Flock cameras and would support pausing the city's camera policy while it looks into a sensible way of monitoring.

Former West Hollywood mayor John Duran said the council majority that approved Flock cameras with amendments took privacy concerns into account and kept data from being shared with ICE, and that the cameras would be carefully regulated.

Patel said San Francisco should not renew Flock's contract unless the system is better regulated and shown to be effective.

Nguyen opposed San Francisco's continued use of Flock, saying the loss of civil liberties was not worth the claimed safety benefit.

In a response to Mission Local, McCoy opposed San Francisco's use of Flock cameras, citing risks to immigrant communities and insufficient safeguards over access to location data.

In a response to Mission Local, Yekutiel supported San Francisco's Flock cameras if the city limits access and retention and prevents data from reaching ICE or other federal agencies.

Fresno council candidate Naindeep Singh said he is open to the evidence but that Flock has a track record of resisting oversight, and that renewing its contract without ironclad protections would be negligent.

Fresno council candidate Rob Fuentes said the city should not renew its contract with Flock, saying he is deeply concerned by a system that creates a surveillance record of every innocent person who drives through Fresno's neighborhoods.

Ariana Martínez Lott, a candidate for Fresno City Council District 7, said she opposes renewing the city's Flock cameras unless the city earns public trust through transparency and strong safeguards for constitutional rights.

Nav Gurm, a candidate for Fresno City Council District 7, said the city should not renew its Flock camera contract and cited Fourth Amendment concerns about a citywide license-plate network.

Folsom Councilmember Mike Kozlowski said the attention Flock had drawn put everyone off and that the city had no reason to take unnecessary risks. He supported continued use of other license plate readers.

Paul Kerfeld said Flock cameras do not need a salary, benefits or a pension and help law enforcement in Folsom and across the region.