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call to action for April 29, 2026

Background

Recent reports in Palo Alto Weekly and the Daily Post show that the Flock system of ALPR (automatic license plate reader) cameras in Palo Alto poses a threat to community safety. Flock Group, Inc., has allowed outside agencies across the country to gain unauthorized access to Palo Alto data hundreds of times.

The threat that these cameras pose a threat to our civil liberties is clear. The ACLU explains the threat as follows: “Imagine that a police officer stood on your street writing detailed notes about you every time you drove or walked by them. … Now imagine that there is an army of police officers doing this on every block. This is the surveillance world that Flock is building."

The Electronic Frontier Foundation offers this summary: "Flock Safety's surveillance infrastructure is not a neutral public safety tool. It's a system that enables and amplifies racist policing, threatens reproductive rights, and chills constitutionally protected speech."

Supporters of the Flock camera system contend that it helps make our community safer. On the contrary, that system makes us less safe. Multiple data security breaches across many municipalities demonstrate that Flock cannot be trusted with data that tracks our movements. We know that Flock data from other communities has been used to track immigrants, protesters, women who are seeking abortion care, and other innocent parties.

The combination of mass surveillance (even on a local level), a private company that is willing to sell and share our data, and a federal government that routinely violates our civil rights and civil liberties is a dangerous mix.

The City of Palo Alto is reviewing its contract with Flock Group, Inc., and the City Council will vote this summer on whether to renew or cancel the contract. Let’s ask council members to commit to taking these two steps:

Immediately cover or disable all surveillance cameras in Palo Alto that are owned and operated by Flock Group, Inc.
Cancel the city’s contract with Flock Group, Inc., when the contract comes up for renewal in the coming months.

Contact City Council Members

Here, taken from the City of Palo Alto website, is contact information for all seven City Council members.

Patrick Burt | [email protected] | (650) 308-9824

Ed Lauing | [email protected]

George Lu | [email protected]

Julie Lythcott-Haims | [email protected]

Keith Reckdahl | [email protected]

Greer Stone | [email protected] | (650) 329-2384

Vicki Veenker | [email protected]

Sample Email and Call Script

Hello, [NAME]

I am reaching out to register my deep concern about recently reported data security leaks in Palo Alto’s network of Flock surveillance cameras. These leaks follow a clear pattern across many communities in which Flock has allowed outside agencies to access supposedly restricted data. Flock is a private company that obviously cannot be trusted with data about Palo Alto residents.

The Flock system of mass surveillance not only threatens our civil liberties—it also threatens our safety. We know that Flock data has been used to track immigrant neighbors, peaceful protesters, and other innocent parties.

I urge you, as a City Council member, to advocate and vote for two critical measures. First, immediately cover or disable all Flock surveillance cameras in Palo Alto. Second, cancel the city’s contract with Flock when the contract comes up for renewal this summer.

Thank you for your time and consideration.