The city of Austin, Texas, canceled its contract with Flock Safety last June after residents complained about the presence of 40 of the company’s surveillance cameras. But that hasn’t stopped the city’s police department from accessing data about Austin-area residents obtained by Flock license plate reader cameras in neighboring jurisdictions.
An investigation by KUT News found that the Austin Police Department, in the last month, has obtained information collected by cameras in the nearby cities of Round Rock and Sunset Valley.
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The police departments in both cities contract with Flock Safety, which operates more than 80,000 cameras for law enforcement and private companies across the country. The cameras use artificial intelligence to capture license plate numbers and vehicle descriptions, data that can be used to track an individual’s movements.
In a statement to KUT News, the Austin Police Department confirmed that it obtained license plate data from other cities but said it only did so in cases of emergency.
“There may be situations where APD requests assistance from peer law enforcement agencies, such as during a joint investigation or when additional information is needed for investigative purposes,” the department said. “These partnerships ensure the safety and well-being of our Austin community.”
As Straight Arrow News has reported, the use of Flock cameras has stirred controversy, with residents in many cities complaining that local officials entered into contracts that allowed unwarranted spying without their input or knowledge. Cities from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Flagstaff, Arizona, to Olympia, Washington, have canceled contracts with Flock after citizen complaints.
Staunton, Virginia, cut ties with Flock after its police chief said the company’s values don’t mesh with his community’s. He described the city’s response to citizens’ concerns as “democracy in action.”
‘TRUST Act’
In its statement to KUT News, the Austin Police Department did not disclose whether it has requested license plate data from any other departments such as the Texas Department of Public Safety, which recently installed an undisclosed number of cameras throughout Austin.
However, the department told FOX 7 Austin that none of its personnel would have direct access to the state agency’s system — although it acknowledged that license plate data could be shared during joint investigations.
The KUT News report came just days after the Austin City Council introduced a measure called the Transparent and Responsible Use of Technology Act — or TRUST Act — which would require police to submit a formal policy and publicly disclose any use of surveillance technology.
Mike Siegel, a City Council member, said changes are being planned in the coming weeks to make sure the TRUST Act covers police access to license plate data collected by departments outside the city.
The controversy in Austin is similar to other incidents across the country. In May it was revealed that police departments across the country had been performing license plate searches on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, despite the federal agency having no formal contract with Flock Safety.
