1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I'm writing to share concerns about our area’s use of Flock Safety corporation’s license plate readers—and what they mean for privacy, safety, and local control in our community. Many of us moved here to escape the constant surveillance of big cities, and the billion-dollar tech companies that profit from turning us into a product. Flock does exactly that. Flock’s system doesn’t just record license plates. It uses AI to track vehicle details like bumper stickers, roof racks, or window decals, things that can reveal political views, religious beliefs, or gun ownership. And recent reports show that Flock plans to link its tracking system with “people search” databases and data breaches—like home addresses, emails, and phone numbers. That’s incredibly invasive. Even if we trust our own local sheriff or police today, this system gives access to any law enforcement agency in the country, with almost no restrictions. This level of surveillance does not belong in our community. We deserve safety without being constantly watched or turned into a dataset for someone else's profit. I urge this body to work with your police department to cancel the contract with Flock/ surveillance, and to support transparent, community-led conversations about any future use of surveillance technology in our cities and state of Maryland. Thank you for your time and your service.