Auburn residents raise concerns over city's 12 Flock license plate readers

More than 100 people gathered Monday for an Auburn Police Department community meeting focused on the city's use of automatic license plate readers, with residents raising concerns about privacy, data sharing and the need for the technology.

Auburn has 12 Flock Safety cameras throughout the city under a contract that runs through 2028.

Auburn Police Chief Bryan Morrison gave a roughly 45-minute presentation explaining how the automatic license plate readers, or ALPRs, are used by the department and highlighting cases in which investigators used the technology to generate leads.

"ALPR technology is not a replacement for police officers," Morrison said. "It is one of many tools that can provide vehicle-related information and investigative leads while allowing existing personnel to make use of available resources efficiently."

But some residents questioned how Flock data is accessed and shared beyond Auburn.

A recent audit found that, in some cases, Auburn's Flock data had been accessed by out-of-state and federal agencies. Police said that feature has since been turned off.

"I feel like it's worth getting rid of just for that," Auburn resident Jared Lovell said. "It's an irresponsible company and it's a complicated product that the police probably don't need."

Lovell even created a custom Flock camera costume for Monday's meeting to draw attention to the city's 12 cameras.

"I'm trying to draw attention that there are 12 Flock cameras in Auburn," he said. "I feel like Flock camera's biggest enemy is just awareness of how large it is and how extensive it is."

The concerns come as other Northern California communities reconsider their use of the technology. Grass Valley and Folsom have both opted to cancel their ALPR contracts.

Monday's meeting in Auburn was informational and did not include a vote on the city's Flock cameras or contract.

Some residents said they were surprised to learn the technology had already been in place for years.

"When we've told people about tonight, they got excited like, 'Oh, do we get to vote to implement Flock?' And they're really dismayed to find out it's been in place for years and that they had no apparent say in the matter," community member Sarah said.

The department said the city's Flock cameras are separate from live camera feeds operated at locations including City Hall, the police department, the Chamber of Commerce and some city parks.

Auburn's contract with Flock Safety remains in place through 2028, and no changes were announced Monday.