Police departments across the North Bay are increasingly relying on Flock Safety’s license plate readers to solve crimes, with Santa Rosa alone tracking over half a million vehicles in the last month.
According to the Press Democrat, while local chiefs call the cameras an essential “force multiplier” for catching thieves and finding missing persons, privacy advocates warn the massive data network creates a “GPS-like” trail for every driver.
The technology has sparked a wave of lawsuits and backlash over concerns that the data could be misused for immigration enforcement or tracking sensitive travel, even as agencies insist strict audits are in place to prevent abuse.
