Eureka, CA
The Eureka City Council voted 5-0 to reject the Eureka Police Department's proposal to install roughly two dozen Flock Safety automated license plate readers at points of entry to the city. The vote followed nearly two hours of public comment in which all but one of roughly 50 speakers urged rejection. Councilmembers cited data-sharing risk to undocumented residents and questioned whether the money was well spent.
What moved this decision
- Fear that data would reach federal immigration authorities
- Sustained public comment overwhelmingly opposed
- Doubt about long-term data security and encryption
- Cost-benefit skepticism from councilmembers
What happened afterwards
The cameras were never installed. Eureka's rejection predates the 2025-2026 national cancellation wave by roughly ten months, making it an early marker rather than a follow-on. Other Humboldt County agencies, including the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and Blue Lake Rancheria, proceeded with ALPR deployments regardless, so the city decision did not create an ALPR-free county.
What we still don’t know
These are the records we would need to describe this decision completely. If you can help obtain them, or already have them, get in touch.
- Official council minutes not obtained; vote count and dollar figure come from press coverage and the published agenda item