UPDATE: 10/29 – Lynnwood has paused their ALPR program, keep the pressure up to cancel the contract!
Make your voice heard! Public comment at City Council Monday 11/10
What is Flock?
Flock is a privately owned company that operates a nationwide network of Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras. Flock is building a database of where everyone travels, accessible without a warrant, regardless of whether you have committed a crime. They have been used by ICE[source] in violation of Washington law. They have been used to track women[source] who sought reproductive healthcare. They have been used to stalk partners of law enforcement[source][source][source]
Lynnwood Police have made promises that:
- This network would not be used for immigration enforcement. Due to misconfiguration this network was used for exactly that. [source]
- Searches have to be cross referenced with a case number. Network audits find this is not being enforced. [source]
Latest News
- Judge denies request to exempt Flock footage from Public Records Act – Herald Net
- Police used ‘Flock’ cameras to accuse Denver woman of theft — then she had to ‘prove’ own innocence even though she wasn’t there. Here’s how – Money Wise
- Lynnwood pauses Flock license plate cameras after immigration-related data breach – Lynnwood Today
- Wyden, Krishnamoorthi Urge FTC to Investigate Surveillance Tech Company on Negligently Handling Americans’ Personal Data – Senator Ron Wyden
- Redmond PD completely suspends Flock camera use amid statewide concerns over ICE access – KOMO News
Wastes Your Tax Dollars
Lynnwood has entered into a 2-year contract valued at $171,153.50 to operate 25 Flock cameras[source]. During the initial contract, a grant of $132,700 was provided, leaving taxpayers responsible for paying $38,453.50 to be warrantlessly tracked at all times. Building infrastructure on grants leaves us vulnerable to a budget spike once the grant expires.
A Berkeley Police Accountability Board found that ALPRs “…did not result in a reduction of crime generally or auto theft specifically, during the period measured.[source]“
Investing in housing, healthcare, and community programs is what improves the health of our community, not invasive surveillance that watches everyone without a warrant.
Your Location Data is Not Safe from Misuse and Sharing
Police claim our data is safe, but Flock’s system is designed for mass sharing. The data can be saved indefinitely and shared with hundreds of outside agencies, including ICE, putting our immigrant neighbors at direct risk.
- A recent ruling by Skagit County Superior Court[source] finds that the footage from Flock are public records. This precedent means that anyone can dump the entire network for broad swaths of time and use it for any purpose.
- Lynnwood’s Flock network has been used by out of state agencies for immigration related searches, breaking promises made by LPD to City Council in January[source].
- A 2023 report found that ICE accessed license plate data from sanctuary cities, undermining state law and local trust[source].
- Federal agencies have been found to use logins provided by local law enforcement to circumvent restrictions on federal information sharing[source].
- Similar systems have been hacked, resulting in exposure of their databases[source].
- Many cities are ending their contracts specifically to concerns that data will be used against our neighbors[source].
Dragnet Surveillance; a Legal Risk
The Eastern District of Virginia has ruled that a Fourth Amendment lawsuit can proceed against Flock’s warrantless surveillance[source].
Flock and any other ALPR (automated license plate reader) lose accuracy in conditions of poor visibility. Thankfully, it never rains or gets foggy in Lynnwood.
Families have been pulled over at gunpoint due to incorrect readings[source], resulting in 7-figure lawsuits. By installing Flock in Lynnwood, we are using tax dollars to install a system that may result in litigation due to its mistakes, for which taxpayers would be responsible.