Santa Cruz, CA
The Santa Cruz City Council voted 6-1 to terminate the city's contract with Flock Safety, becoming the first California city to end a Flock ALPR contract. City records showed state agencies accessed Santa Cruz camera data roughly 4,000 times between June and October 2025 on behalf of federal law enforcement, including ICE. Councilmember Sonja Brunner cast the sole dissenting vote.
What moved this decision
- Roughly 4,000 accesses of city data by state agencies on behalf of federal law enforcement, including ICE
- Alleged violation of California SB 34 barring out-of-state ALPR data sharing
- Mayor Fred Keeley’s stated view that civil liberties risk exceeded the product’s benefit
What happened afterwards
The contract, signed in 2024 and originally set to expire 2026-03-27, was ended early under a 30-day termination clause, making 2026-02-12 the earliest effective date. Santa Cruz's public records disclosure became a catalyst well beyond the city: Santa Cruz Local's reporting on dozens of California agencies sharing data with federal authorities was cited in subsequent cancellation debates in other Bay Area jurisdictions.
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.
- Camera count and contract value not established
- Whether cameras were physically removed, and on what date, not confirmed