Santa Barbara is giving controversial Flock license-plate cameras the boot — however the struggle over police surveillance is much from over.
The town’s contract with Flock Security expired Aug. 23 after residents blasted the automated license plate reader know-how over privateness considerations, together with fears that information may very well be shared with federal immigration authorities.
At a Metropolis Council assembly Tuesday, members stopped in need of signing a take care of one other surveillance firm and as a substitute ordered a evaluation of the metropolis’s coverage governing automated license plate readers, or ALPRs.
For now, Santa Barbara could have no automated license plate cameras working.
The coastal metropolis had been utilizing 12 Flock cameras since late 2023. Police Chief Kelly Gordon mentioned the know-how helped cops find stolen automobiles, determine suspect automobiles and examine critical crimes.
Gordon mentioned the cameras had been used to determine suspects in a serial jewellery retailer theft, a stabbing and tried murder and an assault in 2025. Solved violent crime circumstances elevated 11% for the reason that cameras had been launched, whereas solved hit-and-run circumstances rose 9%, she mentioned.
However residents mentioned the potential privateness dangers weren’t price it.
Eric Boser advised the council that “we’ve seen throughout the nation” how the know-how could be “abused, misused, and goal members of our group.”
Britney Sarate, whose father is a 30-year legislation enforcement veteran, mentioned there’s “case after case” of ALPR know-how getting used to “stalk girls.”
She additionally accused Verkada, the corporate Santa Barbara had thought-about as a Flock substitute, of being “particularly accused of utilizing this know-how to stalk and harass girls.”
Verkada’s system differs from Flock in that the cameras could be city-owned and managed, with no public or multi-agency search entry.
Gordon beneficial town think about Verkada, saying it might protect the investigative advantages of ALPRs whereas maintaining information beneath the management of a single group.
She additionally harassed that Flock cameras can determine license plates however can not carry out facial recognition.
The truth is, certainly one of Santa Barbara’s Flock cameras was just lately stolen — and police couldn’t determine the suspect as a result of the digicam doesn’t seize faces.
Councilwoman Kristen Sneddon mentioned the considerations transcend the native police division.
“This isn’t about our native police,” Sneddon mentioned. “That is in regards to the means of knowledge to be breached, the power for information for use in very focused nefarious methods. It’s about federal overreach, it’s about regional overreach. And it’s about regardless of how a lot we predict we have now management of that information, I simply don’t assume we do.”
Councilmember Meagan Harmon equally mentioned, “Privateness considerations should not going away, they proceed to develop,” including, “And it’s necessary that we proceed to have iterative conversations about our use of know-how in Santa Barbara.”
Councilman Mike Jordan defended the cameras, saying his family had benefited from the know-how.
“If any person’s child or grandkid was picked up and an ALPR remedied that crime with the secure return of the child, I feel if I used to be towards ALPR, I’d come to Jesus fairly fast, proper then and there,” Jordan mentioned.
The council didn’t formally vote Tuesday. Members are anticipated to direct town administrator to not signal a Verkada contract and to evaluation the ALPR coverage, with that course of seemingly coming in early 2027.
Santa Barbara joins a rising listing of California cities — together with Los Angeles, El Cerrito and Mountain View — which have suspended or ended use of license-plate cameras amid an intensifying debate over privateness and public security.
