Although Pasadena Now published on Monday that no federal agency had accessed the Pasadena Police Department’s automatic license plate reader database, it turns out that was not correct.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police twice accessed the database during a search of state databases. Police reported the incident to Pasadena Now on Monday.
According to an NBC News report, Flock said the agency was incorrectly labeled as a state agency.
The Public Safety Committee will receive details of the police department’s use of the system at 5 p.m. today at City Hall.
“Let’s get these out of our city please,” wrote Lucas Pierce in correspondence to the committee.
The cameras capture license plate images and vehicle characteristics to assist investigators in identifying vehicles linked to crimes such as burglaries, vehicle thefts and violent offenses.
The cameras have come under fire from civil rights advocates who say that large networks of cameras could allow government agencies, including agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to track vehicle movements over time.
The state’s ALPR Privacy Act prohibits local law enforcement from sharing this data with federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies.
Residents in several U.S. cities have urged local officials to stop using the system, citing fears of mass surveillance and concerns that locally collected data could be used to support federal deportation efforts.
Supporters say the cameras provide valuable investigative leads and allow police to locate stolen vehicles and suspects more quickly.
An audit of the system found no evidence of misuse or unauthorized access to the system, according to a report.
The audit reviewed searches conducted in the Flock system and found they were tied to legitimate law enforcement purposes, including investigations involving stolen vehicles and other crimes.
The review also determined officers followed department policies governing access to the system and that all searches were logged and traceable through the platform’s auditing tools.
The report also found that no federal agencies accessed the City’s Flock system or its investigations during the audit period.
Two California drivers have filed a lawsuit accusing Flock of violating state law by allowing out-of-state and federal agencies to access information captured by the cameras.
“Flock has created an Orwellian mass-surveillance infrastructure that is practically impossible to avoid, particularly for anyone operating a vehicle in the towns and cities across this country where Flock has installed its cameras,” the drivers say in their complaint, filed Thursday in state court in San Francisco.
“Flock attempts to evade responsibility and shift liability for its violations by pointing fingers at its own customers,” they claim.
“But Flock cannot rely on weaponized incompetence when its obligations under California law are crystal clear.”
The plaintiffs claim that in April the California Highway Patrol conducted a search on behalf of ICE across 845 different California agency databases with which it had sharing agreements.
“Flock takes privacy, legal compliance, and data security extremely seriously,” the company added in its statement. “We are committed to helping communities and law enforcement agencies use technology responsibly and in compliance with applicable law. Across California, Flock has been an invaluable tool in helping solve and deter crime, supporting investigations and promoting public safety for residents and communities.”
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