Residents call for oversight of Flock camera program
Roughly 60 residents gathered Thursday evening, July 9th, at the Twentynine Palms Luckie Park Activity Center. The meeting was a roundtable discussion on the existing Flock cameras and the upcoming contract renewal with Flock Safety. Hilary Sloane reports:
What began as a tense, sometimes confrontational meeting evolved into a broader discussion of transparency, accountability, and public oversight.
Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader system is used in thousands of communities nationwide. The solar-powered cameras capture still images of passing vehicles and record information such as license plate numbers, vehicle make, model, color, and direction of travel.
Representatives from Flock Safety and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department defended the technology as an investigative tool.
Sheriff’s officials described cases in which license plate reader technology helped investigators identify vehicles involved in criminal investigations, including homicides, hit-and-run collisions, and missing-person cases.
Supporters in the audience also emphasized public safety concerns.
One longtime resident and school employee spoke about the vulnerability of local schools, dangerous driving around children, and the challenges law enforcement faces in a growing community.
Opponents of the system said their concerns extend beyond crime fighting.
Residents questioned how data is stored, who can access it, how information is shared among agencies, and whether surveillance technologies introduced for one purpose could eventually be expanded for other purposes.
As the meeting continued, a common theme began to emerge.
Many residents said the issue was not simply whether the cameras exist, but whether adequate safeguards, oversight, and public accountability are in place.
Several community members proposed creating a citizen advisory committee, implementing local oversight measures, increasing transparency, and increasing public involvement before future decisions about the system are made.
Mayor Pro Tem Octavious Scott responded positively to those suggestions.
During the discussion, Scott said he was listening to residents’ concerns and wanted to explore potential compromises and additional oversight.
One resident, Alexandra Aikens, said the meeting showed that community members are willing to work toward solutions.
Aikens said, “We’ve given the Sheriff’s Department, the Flock representative, and all the people involved a lot to think about, and we’ve also shown a willingness to compromise. If we have oversight and local control, we do want things that help the police department enforce public safety.”
Twentynine Palms currently operates 31 Flock cameras under a contract that remains in effect through 2027.
No policy changes were announced during the meeting, and no formal action was taken.
However, officials indicated they are open to further public discussions, and several participants expressed interest in continuing the conversation on privacy, transparency, and the future of surveillance technology in the community.
By the end of the evening, participants had not resolved the debate over Flock cameras.
But many appeared to agree on one point: if the technology is going to remain in Twentynine Palms, residents want a larger role in deciding how it is used, how it is monitored, and who is ultimately accountable for it.
