The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, hardened her stance against the company Flock Safety and publicly requested that the LAPD stop using its intelligent license plate reader system, considering that the company lost the trust of citizens due to the risk that the information could be used in immigration operations.
According to information published by the Los Angeles Times, the mayor made it clear that she supports the use of technology to combat crime, but believes that the current provider no longer offers sufficient guarantees to protect the privacy of residents, especially immigrant communities.
“The LAPD needs to find another company that doesn't share data,” Bass said.
LAPD defends its technology
The LAPD maintains that automatic license plate readers have been able to locate stolen vehicles and identify cars linked to criminal investigations. However, concern increased after several cities in the country canceled their contracts with Flock Safety due to fear that the information would end up being used by federal authorities to facilitate deportations.
The controversy also intensified after a report by The Washington Post, which documented at least 50 cases in which law enforcement officers were accused of improperly using surveillance systems to harass ex-partners or follow citizens without official justification.
Meanwhile, a report from the LAPD Inspector General's office found deficiencies in the department's contracts with license plate reader vendors, including a lack of clarity about how long the data is stored and how it can be shared with other agencies.
Flock denies collaborating with ICE and promises to strengthen controls
Faced with criticism, Flock Safety assured that it does not maintain contracts with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) and stated that it is its clients who decide who can consult the information collected by the cameras.
Its CEO, Garrett Langley, explained in an interview with ABC7 that the company only keeps records for 30 days and rejected the idea that its devices use facial recognition technology.
Even so, civil organizations and activists consider that the risks to privacy remain high. During a public consultation organized by the LAPD Inspector General, residents and specialists warned that these systems could facilitate mass surveillance if there are no clear rules on access and use of information.
Karen Bass's petition once again places the LAPD under the microscope regarding the balance between public safety, privacy, and the protection of immigrant communities in the face of the immigration policies promoted by the Trump administration.
