Lynnwood is ending its use of automated license plate reader cameras after concerns the system was accessed for immigration enforcement.
The Lynnwood City Council voted unanimously Monday to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, the company that operates the cameras. Twenty-five cameras installed near busy intersections have been turned off for months after questions arose about whether the system had been accessed for immigration-related searches. The city attorney said the cameras will be removed, though no timeline was provided.
“We know two instances in which the Flock cameras were used for immigration searches: one in Pennsylvania and one in Florida,” Councilmember Isabel Mata said. “This was because a switch was pointed at a nationwide search. It was a configuration or misconfiguration at that point.”
The cameras are designed to capture images of license plates and the rear of vehicles to help police recover stolen cars, locate missing people, and generate leads in criminal investigations. A group called De-Flock Lynnwood and other residents urged the council to protect civil liberties. “Due to the tech nature of how Flock has built their network, I don’t think we have any control over what they can do,” David Barber told the council.
Others questioned whether removing the cameras would eliminate a useful law enforcement tool. Lynnwood resident Riley Molenda said he supports immigration enforcement using the technology. “Just because a tool exists, that doesn’t mean we should use it, necessarily, especially one where the company in question has lost our trust,” Mata responded.
In an email, Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel said the company does not have contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection and that there is no back-door access to its systems. “Each Flock customer fully owns and controls 100% of its data,” Lewbel said. “By default, vehicle data is automatically deleted after 30 days unless local law or policy requires otherwise.” Mata noted that automated license plate recognition technology remains legal in Lynnwood and the council could consider other systems in the future.
