Ban Flock Cameras and Put Surveillance Tech to a Public Vote

Ban Flock Safety cameras statewide and pass legislation requiring any new privacy-invading surveillance technology, including biometric data collection, to be approved by public vote before deployment. The LAPD's use of Flock automated license plate readers has exposed exactly how these systems get normalized without meaningful public consent: lobbyists, police foundations, and councilmembers pressure small city agencies behind closed doors while residents have no say. Flock has contracts with roughly 5,000 law enforcement agencies and has shared license plate data with ICE to support federal immigration enforcement. In Los Angeles, the LA Police Foundation pushed to waive permit fees and fast-track installations in wealthy Westside neighborhoods, while a bureau official warned that poles were being rushed to the point of potential collapse. The Police Commission has already declined to approve new Flock donations and ordered an audit. That's not enough. Californians deserve a binding vote before any government agency deploys technology that tracks their movements or captures their biometric data.