Police in Monterey Park are set to host a community meeting Tuesday night to discuss the use of Flock cameras.
Some law enforcement agencies are using it as a public safety tool, but some residents are against them, saying they are an invasion of privacy.
NBC4 Investigates has learned that Flock Safety is a private, for profit business that sells access to its network of cameras to law enforcement agencies. The cameras are automatic license plate readers, also known as ALPRs.
According to the police department in Monterey Park, the cameras are used as an investigative tool to help recover stolen vehicles, identify suspect vehicles associated with criminal activity, find missing or at risk people and to confirm investigative leads.
Monterey Park police say the Flock cameras don’t use facial recognition technology and only take pictures of cars and their license plate only when the car passes one of the cameras.
The department insists that these surveillance cameras don’t continually monitor you, your neighborhood, or public spaces and the data is not given to ICE or immigration officials.
However, the cameras have brought up major privacy concerns and questions about the security of the data collected and how it’s being used.
A petition circulating online called “get Flock out of Monterey Park” has more than 300 signatures and three demands for the city to suspend its use of Flock, not renew its contract with the company and require Flock to take down all of its existing cameras in Monterey Park.
According to police, there are currently 34 of these cameras in Monterey Park.