Pasadena residents furious over Flock cameras amid privacy concerns
PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Frustration over Flock cameras continues in Pasadena amid the city's plans to expand the surveillance system.
Dozens took to the steps of City Hall to voice their concerns.
"I am against Flock cameras in Pasadena right now with this federal administration. I don't think it's safe for us to have this giant pool of our residents' data -- where they're going everyday -- that could be potentially abused by the Federal government," said Pasadena's Vice Mayor Jess Rivas.
Rivas joined rallygoers after the planned City Hall meeting to discuss the use of Flock cameras was postponed due to lack of quorum, which essentially just means there were not enough city councilmembers to hold the meeting. Elected Officials seem to be divided on the issue.
"It's not really about Flock itself. It's about the use of technology to deter and resolve crimes if and when they occur and it's been very helpful," said Mayor Victor M Gordo.
The City of Pasadena installed Flock Cameras back in 2023 in response to terrorism concerns surrounding the Rose Bowl. Today, there are over 70 cameras in about 20 major intersections with a concentration in the Rose Bowl and Northwest Pasadena areas.
Residents say they are worried about the use of the information gathered by the automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) under the current Trump Administration.
Flock met the national outcry against their surveillance by scaling back their data retention rate to seven days with exceptions for police investigations when video is being used as evidence to solve a crime.
The City of Pasadena released this statement in response to concerned neighbors saying:
"The use of technology in law enforcement and in society in general has its supporters and detractors. Pasadena is always open to hearing both sides of every issue, as it makes us a better city. While there are horror stories about the use of technology elsewhere, we can point to the use of this technology locally to solve a number of crimes. Nonetheless, we encourage those critical of this technology to continue to raise their voices so that we can understand and address their important concerns about privacy and misuse of technology. We place the well-being and safety of our residents first and foremost and will use every tool reasonable available to protect our residents while safeguarding and honoring privacy rights."
The city's contract with Flock is set to expire on September 25, 2027. The city plans on engaging in conversation to renew the contract.
