Brief

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, seconded by Imelda Padilla, has introduced a motion addressing the city's use of Flock Safety automated license plate readers and related public safety considerations. The motion calls for removal of Flock devices and directs the city to develop new memoranda of understanding governing their use or discontinuation. The file is pending review in the Public Safety Committee and was referred on May 29, 2026.

Full summary

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced this motion on May 29, 2026, calling for the city to halt expansion of its Flock Safety license plate reader program and begin planning for removal of existing devices. Flock's cameras collect license plate numbers, vehicle characteristics, timestamps, and location data on every passing vehicle regardless of any connection to criminal activity. The LAPD entered a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with Flock on July 23, 2023, and that agreement is now under reconsideration by the Board of Police Commissioners. The motion makes four specific demands. First, it asks the Council to request that the Board of Police Commissioners refrain from entering into any new agreements or pilot programs with Flock Safety or its affiliates. Second, it instructs the LAPD to report on the full inventory of Flock contracts, data collection and sharing practices, camera locations and the property types they sit on, and any instances of data access by external agencies including federal ones. Third, it requests the City Attorney to assess whether Flock's data-sharing practices have violated the city's Sanctuary Ordinance, Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 19.192, or other local and state privacy protections. Fourth, it directs the LAPD and City Administrative Officer to develop a plan with a timeline for removing existing Flock devices. Jurado's motion frames the issue as a civil liberties and immigrant-rights concern. It argues that Flock's network enables broad data sharing among thousands of law enforcement agencies nationwide, meaning data collected in Los Angeles could potentially reach agencies in states with weaker privacy protections or more aggressive immigration enforcement practices, undermining local sanctuary policies. The motion also cites documented errors in automated license plate reader systems that have resulted in wrongful stops, detentions, and arrests with disproportionate impacts on Black and Latino communities. It notes that cities in Illinois, Texas, Washington, and New York have already suspended or declined to renew Flock contracts, and that South Pasadena began removing its cameras in March 2026. The motion was referred to the Public Safety Committee on the day it was introduced and has not advanced further. The committee will determine whether to hold hearings, request the departmental reports the motion calls for, or send a recommendation to the full Council.

Activity (1)

• 2026-05-29 Motion referred to Public Safety Committee.

Documents (1)

• 2026-05-29 Motion · motion