Lynnwood terminates Flock Safety cameras due to trust and oversight issues

LYNNWOOD—The Lynnwood City Council voted unanimously on Monday, February 22, to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, scrapping a controversial network of automated license plate recognition cameras that had drawn months of fierce community backlash over privacy invasions and potential misuse for immigration enforcement. The Council’s decision was a swift reversal for a program once […]

Bill to regulate ALPR Cameras passes state Senate, now heads to House

OLYMPIA [CASSIE DIAMOND]—A bill establishing a regulatory structure for automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras advanced out of the state Senate Wednesday, Feb. 4. Senate Bill 6002 would restrict the use of ALPR cameras by state and local agencies, set a retention period for the data collected and limit the sharing of data. ALPR cameras, also […]

Washington lawmakers want to regulate license plate readers

OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street]—Washington state lawmakers next year hope to rein in law enforcement’s use of automated license plate readers amid revelations federal immigration authorities are using the data. The readers are mounted everywhere from street poles to police patrol cars. They take pictures of vehicles and use artificial intelligence to analyze the data. Police can […]

Lynnwood’s Flock Cameras Under Fire: Boosting Public Safety or Eroding Privacy in the Fight Against Crime?

LYNNWOOD—The Lynnwood Police Department on Friday, October 24, issued a statement to clarify and “address potential misconceptions” of its use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology in response to a recent report by the University of Washington Center for Human Rights. The report titled, “Leaving the Door Wide Open: Flock Surveillance Systems and Immigration Enforcement in Washington State,” […]