Los Angeles and other cities are distancing themselves from herd safety

The city of Los Angeles is Allowing a three-year contract with Flock Security to expire – at least for now – amid concerns about privacy, data storage and the effectiveness of Flock License plate reader technologybesides Moving from other cities to distance themselves from the Atlanta-based surveillance company.

Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Police Department announced it would no longer use 138 surveillance cameras installed in the city operated by Fluke, which were used to track vehicles by automatically reading their license plates. A few months ago, the Los Angeles Times reported Disaffected in Los Angeles More than one Fluke likely shared information with the US government, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, although the LAPD at the time praised the Fluke cameras as “tremendous investigative tools.”

In May, City Councilman Move To suspend new contracts or agreements with Fluke.

The LAPD, Los Angeles City Council, or Flock Safety did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The LAPD told media outlets that a sticking point in moving forward with the company is uncertainty about the data Flock collects from its cameras, including who owns it and how it might be used once it’s collected.

Fluke’s statement to media outlets, including KTLA, noted that misconceptions were driving the decision and that it was working with the LAPD on data privacy protections and restrictions related to data access. “Although this latest development comes as a surprise, we remain committed to continuing our active and ongoing conversations with the LAPD to find a way forward,” a Fluke spokesperson said. He told the TV station.

Cities drop or reassess the herd

A number of US cities decided to part ways with Flock Safety this year, but even after contracts expired, some continued to have issues with the company.

Dayton, Ohio, and Evanston, Illinois, both Garbage bags are used to cover herd cameras To prevent the company from continuing to operate it.

Dayton accused the company of Data sharing violationsincluding research related to immigration enforcement. Evanston issued a cease-and-desist order after discovering that Fluke had reinstalled cameras that the city had ordered removed.

Other cities that have canceled contracts with Fluke include Mountain View and Oakland, California; Knoxville, Tennessee; Flagstaff, Arizona; Cambridge, Massachusetts; San Marcos, Texas; and Redmond, Washington. the site DeFlock keeps a running list Of city councils that canceled contracts or rejected bids from Fluke.

As DeFlock points out, oh Flock Not the only seller Of software and hardware that automatically reads the license plate. Other companies include Axon, Genetech and Motorola Solutions.