Supervisors vote 3-2 to take down all 63 sheriff's Flock cameras within 60 days
The board rejected a $1.7 million, 10-year contract for the license plate reading cameras, ending the county program over privacy concerns.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Sept. 22 to remove all 63 Flock Safety license plate reading cameras operated by the sheriff's office, rejecting a proposed 10-year, $1.7 million contract to keep the system running.
Under the board's direction, the cameras must come down within 60 days. Supervisors Kate Daniels, Wendy Root Askew and Glenn Church voted to end the program; Supervisors Luis Alejo and Chris Lopez voted to keep it.
The sheriff's office and the district attorney had advocated keeping the cameras, which automatically read license plates and alert deputies to vehicles of interest. Sheriff's officials told the board the system had aided investigations across the county.
According to the Californian, Undersheriff Boyd said that if the board declined to authorize the contract negotiation, he would notify Flock in writing to terminate the county's access to the system and remove the cameras as soon as possible but no later than 60 days.
Residents who spoke against the contract raised privacy concerns about a network of cameras logging the movements of county drivers. Those concerns carried the majority.
Alejo, voting in the minority, said the technology deserved regulation rather than rejection. "Technology is a very helpful tool, but it needs to be regulated, it needs to have guardrails included in this contract and in our county policies to address the concerns we heard today. But to just put an end to it, I think we are undermining the promises we made to our constituents when we said we were going to prioritize public safety," Alejo said, according to the Californian.
The 60-day removal window runs from the Sept. 22 vote, putting the deadline in late November.
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