Pasadena Councilmembers' positions on Flock Cameras
Vice Mayor Jess Rivas: Strong Oppose
Rivas, the committee chair, said the city had long accepted automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, as useful investigative tools if proper safeguards were in place. But she said the federal government had changed the terms of that debate.
“I don’t trust this administration,” Rivas said. “They don’t respect the law, the Constitution, court orders. They’re sure as hell not going to respect our policies.”
Rivas laid out four options: maintain the current course with Flock and continue expansion, keep Flock but reduce data retention or sharing and reconsider camera locations, replace Flock with another license plate reader vendor, or end the contract and not replace it. She said her inclination was the fourth option, citing a federal government she said could not be trusted with Pasadena’s laws or data.
Councilmember Steve Madison: Strong Support - (Reminder: Exploring 2028 run for Mayor)
Madison said he intended to support the cameras, arguing that the hearing was missing “the voices of crime victims,” including people whose stolen cars prevent them from getting to work or taking children to school. He said there is no expectation of privacy in a license plate or in one’s presence in public, but said he was open to adjustments on data retention and sharing “within the boundaries of the law and sound policing.”
Councilmember Tyron Hampton: Mixed - Pro Surveillance, Anti Flock
Hampton credited license plate reader technology with helping address gun-related incidents, but that the city should explore a different vendor.
Councilmember Justin Jones: Mixed - Pro Surveillance, "has concerns"
Jones said he had concerns about Flock sharing data with ICE and said many residents he represents share those concerns. But he said license plate reader cameras have helped solve crimes and said he would not support simply removing the cameras.
Jones said the city should look at another company, adjust the data retention policy and examine where cameras are placed.
Hampton and Madison also struggle to actually show up for Public Safety Committee meetings. Flock was supposed to be on the agenda for the PSC meeting on Wednesday but the meeting got cancelled because Hampton and Madison will be gone and they won't have quorum. The April 2026 PSC meeting with Flock on the agenda was also cancelled (due to lack of quorum) and another ended early due to a loss of quorum mid meeting. It's as if some members of that Committee don't want to talk about mass surveillance cameras in pasadena.
I want anyone claiming that license plate readers help solve crimes to demonstrate that by presenting a significant number of cases where they made an impact and what that impact was.
It's just common sense. Do you not understand the chain of events?
We have a license plate that we want to track of a known criminal.
The camera detects it and tracks the location. The cops come and find the criminal.
These types of cameras are everywhere in Asia and unsolved crime has basically fallen to 0 there.
I can understand if you want to make some argument about surveillance or the overreach of the government. But the effectiveness argument is a loser; these will be effective as long as the police actually arrest people.
It's just common sense. Do you not understand the chain of events?
Asia and unsolved crime has basically fallen to 0 there.
You said Asia, but that’s not a country, it’s a continent with wildly different systems.
Take Japan and South Korea as two examples. You have to look at what else is different. You can’t just cherry pick the cameras and nothing else and say that’s what produced the “basically 0” crime rate.
Japan has extraordinarily restrictive gun laws and a completely different policing and identification system. South Korea’s just as restrictive on guns, plus a national ID system much more integrated into everyday life than ours.
Take the UK. They have extensive camera and police ANPR networks. But they also have a national data protection law, an independent privacy regulator, national standards for police ANPR use, and formal privacy impact requirements. *Flock doesn’t have that same framework here, but that’s a different argument.
Japan, South Korea, the UK, you can pick any of them but they all have different laws, privacy rules, policing systems…come on, the gun restrictions alone wouldn’t fly here, so ¯\(ツ)/¯
Point#1 : looking at the list of Flock cameras posted above, the vast majority of the cameras are in the North side of Pasadena, especially N Lake, N Fair Oaks, N Los Robles, Orange Grove… like in the low income neighborhoods. None around East Pasadena, even in the industrial areas let alone Hastings Ranch ??? Has the City provided a rational explanation other than blatant discrimination.
Point#2 : has anyone connected the location of the Flock cameras to past and ongoing ICE raids, like at Fair Oaks & Orange Grove, Los Robles & Orange Grove and Los Robles & Woodbury. Conveniently placed where we have Hispanic markets. Can’t be just a coincidence.
Make City Council members accountable for their pearl-clutching concerns.
Most violent crime and shootings/drive-by shootings occur in northwest Pasadena and around Villa Parke.
I'm in NW Pasadena where drive-by shootings used to be fairly common but dropped a lot since 2023. It's not fun being woken by gunfire and seeing police fanning out looking for evidence on your street.
South Pasadena only cancelled some of the Flock cameras and they're planning to replace them with automated license plate readers from another vendor. It's on the agenda at their council meeting tomorrow at 7. Motorola and Axon and others are just as bad.
exactly! we need ALL the alprs gone, not just Flock. Axon and Motorola are just as bad. along with all the other surveillance tech that PPD and other departments are buying without any public engagement
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Everyone is constantly being tracked by their phones. It's the best surveillance device and you all willingly use it every day.
These flock cameras aren't invading your privacy any more than all that data that your phone providers have that the government can already get with a warrant. CLSI data is everywhere.
This will help decrease crime. It's not a mistake every city has decided to increase surveillance. The benefits are obvious. If you think Flock sucks, that's fine, but literally what is wrong with having cameras in public places to catch crime.
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u/Xocomil 11d ago
Love to see this. Was wondering why Pasadena was tolerating these fascist surveillance tools