Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated Thursday that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) should cease its work with Flock Safety, a company providing AI-enabled license plate readers, citing a loss of public trust, particularly within immigrant communities.
In her strongest remarks to date on the issue, Mayor Bass expressed support for license plate reading technology as a law enforcement tool but emphasized that Flock had "lost the trust of Angelenos and residents across the country." She suggested that the LAPD identify an alternative provider that does not share data in a manner that raises privacy concerns.
LAPD officials have previously stated that Flock's technology aids in solving crimes and locating stolen vehicles or suspects. While the department announced a pause in its relationship with Flock last month, police officials indicated that negotiations for a new contract, incorporating enhanced data sharing and collection safeguards, were underway. This development follows concerns raised by numerous smaller cities that have deactivated or terminated contracts with Flock due to allegations that the company provides data to federal authorities that could be used for immigration enforcement and deportations.
Mayor Bass's stance aligns with activists and local officials urging an outright termination of the LAPD's contract. Her mayoral opponent, Nithya Raman, also publicly called for cutting ties with Flock Safety, highlighting national concerns about the privacy and civil liberties risks associated with the company's technology, especially for immigrant communities.
Recent actions by the city underscore these concerns. Last month, Mayor Bass signed an ordinance prohibiting city personnel from granting external access to data that could determine an individual's immigration status. A report from the LAPD inspector general's office identified significant limitations in the department's agreements with its license plate reader vendors, including Flock, Axon, and Motorola, regarding data retention and sharing protocols. The inspector general recommended updating contracts, conducting audits, and establishing standardized rules for traffic stops based on license plate reader alerts.
Flock Safety maintains that its customers control data access and that the company does not have contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The company has stated it has taken steps to address concerns, including barring federal agencies from its lookup tools and restricting immigration-related searches to comply with state laws. Flock CEO Garrett Langley has said the company retains data for only 30 days and denied the use of facial recognition software. However, public discourse continues, with some residents supporting the technology for crime deterrence while others express apprehension about the potential for unchecked government surveillance and data collection.
