Tessera

Deflock Broward

@deflockbroward.bsky.social

Documenting automated license plate (ALPR) surveillance in Broward County (FL) and equipping residents with information to advocate for its removal. https://deflockbroward.org/ https://mastodon.social/@deflockbroward https://x.com/DeflockBroward

21 Posts32 Follower 26 Folgt

Deflock Broward @deflockbroward.bsky.social · 3w ago

Eleven years. $5.5M. One competitive bid. A police goal of covering "the entire city perimeter" that no commission ever voted on. Our fifth city investigation is live: Hollywood, FL — built entirely on public records. deflockbroward.org/hollywood/

Hollywood | Deflock Broward

Eleven years. $5.5 million. A plan to cover "the entire city perimeter" that no one ever voted on. What the public record shows about Hollywood's ALPR program — from the 2014 LEARN enrollment nobody w...

deflockbroward.org

Deflock Broward @deflockbroward.bsky.social · 5mo ago

1/12 Pembroke Pines quietly built a surveillance machine over 10 years. $1.3 million. 160+ cameras. Facial recognition. FBI database access. Audio capture. 13 Commission votes. Zero seconds of debate. Every document is public record. 🧵

The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 5mo ago

Flock cameras don’t track in real-time like GPS. But as camera locations increase, and data is increasingly being shared across jurisdictions, civil libertarians worry about creating a kind of panoptic surveillance infrastructure — especially when integrated with other technologies like AI.

The Troubling Personal Side of Public Surveillance

Law enforcement cameras are popping up everywhere, but many agencies have little safeguards to prevent abuse by individual officers.

themarshallproject.org

ACLU of Washington @acluwa.bsky.social · 5mo ago

NEW: The WA state legislature passed the Driver Privacy Act to help regulate automated license plate readers. While the bill is a step toward establishing needed guardrails on this surveillance technology, we know there is more work to do to protect us from surveillance disguised as public safety.

web_rant @webrant.bsky.social · 5mo ago

See if you can tell the difference in reaction from Flock CEO Garrett Langley and any other fascist trying to take control. The intimidation through universal surveillance is the point. bsky.app/profile/hype...

In a December email reportedly sent to all its law enforcement clients, CEO Garrett Langley claimed that attacks on Flock were attacks on law enforcement. “Let's call this what it is,” he wrote. “Flock, and the law enforcement agencies we partner with, are under coordinated attack.” Langley then portrays Flock’s critics as motivated not by legitimate disagreement over the relative importance of different values and the role of mass surveillance in a brutal mass deportation effort, but as some kind of nihilists who wish to destroy society:

The attacks aren't new. You've been dealing with this for forever, and we've been dealing with this since our founding, from the same activist groups who want to defund the police, weaken public safety, and normalize lawlessness. Now, they're producing YouTube videos with misleading headlines.

Langley also told police departments that “activist groups” are also “trying to turn a public records process into a weapon against you and against us.” In a democratic society where sovereignty rests with the people, transparency into what the government is doing is vital. In an era where powerful new technologies promise to give the government expansive new powers never before seen in human history, transparency becomes even more urgent.

Last week, responding to critical coverage of the release of data on millions of police surveillance targets by reporters at 404Media, Flock charged that behind the criticism lay “activists trying to let murderers go free.”

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 5mo ago

Four Milwaukee alders warned that a system like Flock — capable of “‘tracking movement patterns, identifying vehicles, and storing sensitive location data’ — can be ‘weaponized against residents, including survivors of domestic violence, journalists, advocates, and everyday community members.’”

DeFlock Atlanta @deflockatlanta.org · 5mo ago

@markruffalo.bsky.social They've built a nationwide network of 80k+ AI-enhanced license plate readers, Pan-Tilt-Zoom Cameras, and 24/7 Audio Sensors. They can search for people. One search bar. The entire network. No Warrant Required. Want to guess who they are tracking with it?

Deflock Broward @deflockbroward.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Looks like our web host is facing a DDoS attack, and deflockbroward.org is currently down. Thanks for your patience while we wait for the team to restore service!

deflockbroward.org

DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Louis Rossmann on a recent report on law enforcement #ALPR use in #Virginia. "The best way to deal with this is not to write a #privacy policy, or to have a set of laws, the best way to deal with this is to never build the mass #surveillance network to begin with." Ban ALPRs! 🚫 #deflock

Virginia passed a privacy law that police immediately broke

YouTube video by Louis Rossmann

youtu.be

Deflock Broward @deflockbroward.bsky.social · 5mo ago

We're back with another exposé on ALPR in Broward County FL. Today we're looking at the Town of Davie. deflockbroward.org/davie

Davie | Deflock Broward

What the public record shows about Davie's multi-vendor ALPR surveillance program — six years of procurement, nearly $700,000, two vendor ecosystems, and zero public votes.

deflockbroward.org

DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 5mo ago

🚨 On Tuesday March 10, in the 19:00 session a 90 minute "Police Technology Update" will see Chief Lowe ignore community push-back & seek to reinstate the #ALPR mass #surveillance program under the cover of SB 6002! He will also be raising ALPR tech mounted to police vehicles as an alternative! 1/4

4. AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER (ALPR) TECHNOLOGY

Understanding the Full ALPR Landscape

- The department operates or oversees three distinct categories of ALPR technology. These must be understood separately, as they serve different purposes, operate under different legal frameworks, and carry different community implications. Council's suspension applies specifically to the investigative fixed-camera system.

System:
Investigative Fixed ALPR (Flock Safety)
Purpose:
Detect vehicles linked to crimes, stolen vehicles, and missing persons citywide 24/7.
Mechanism:
Fixed cameras at strategic city locations always-on coverage independent of officer deployment.
Current Status:
SUSPENDED - pending Council direction.

System:
Mobile ALPR (In-Car Camera)
Purpose:
Detect wanted vehicles during patrol opportunistic coverage dependent on officer routing.
Mechanism:
Mounted on patrol vehicles active only when car is present at same location as target vehicle.
Current Status:
Available as an alternative, not currently deployed.

Fixed vs. Mobile ALPR: Why Fixed Infrastructure Is the More Effective Tool

Council should be aware that mobile ALPR technology camera systems mounted on patrol vehicles exists as an alternative to the fixed Flock Safety infrastructure currently suspended. After careful evaluation, the department does not recommend mobile ALPR as a substitute. The reasons are operational and grounded in the department's evaluative framework of problem-solving and efficiency:

- Coverage dependency: Mobile ALPR can only detect a wanted vehicle if a patrol car happens to be in the same location at the same time. Fixed cameras provide continuous, citywide coverage 24 hours a day, regardless of officer deployment patterns.
- Reactive vs. proactive value: Fixed systems alert officers when a wanted vehicle enters a monitored area, allowing rapid, targeted response. Mobile systems capture plates passively during routine patrol an officer may drive past a wanted vehicle without any alert if the system is not actively querying that specific plate at that moment.
- Resource efficiency: Fixed infrastructure generates alerts without requiring an officer to be present. Mobile ALPR consumes officer time and patrol resources while delivering narrower and less reliable coverage.
- Investigative gap: A wanted vehicle associated with a felony investigation may sit in a residential neighborhood for days without a patrol car passing. Fixed cameras at key corridors capture that vehicle the moment it moves. Mobile ALPR would miss it entirely unless an officer happened to be on the same block.

In short: mobile ALPR relies on coincidence. Fixed ALPR relies on infrastructure. For a department committed to efficiency and effectiveness, fixed infrastructure is the operationally superior choice. The department

Chief's Recommendation: Resume Investigative ALPR Upon Passage of SB 6002

The department respectfully but clearly recommends that Council authorize resumption of the investigative ALPR program upon enactment of SB 6002, provided Redmond's policies are updated to comply with the new state law. This recommendation is grounded in the following:

- SB 6002 directly addresses the concerns that motivated the suspension. The legislation codifies in state law what Redmond's internal policy had already established including the prohibition on immigration enforcement use and the mandatory audit requirements. The community's concern about data misuse will, upon passage, be backed by statutory penalties including criminal liability for willful violations.
- Washington State will provide a legal framework and enforcement mechanism that does not depend on any individual agency's good faith. That is the structural protection the community deserves.
- The operational case for fixed ALPR is compelling. Stolen vehicles, trafficking cases, felony suspects these are problems ALPR solves in ways that no other available tool replicates with the same speed and coverage.
- Redmond's existing safeguards no data sharing, chief-level approval, mandatory case nexus, system-level immigration filter already exceed what SB 6002 requires. Compliance will be a policy update, not a program redesign.

The department is not asking Council to accept the program as it was before suspension. It is asking Council to commit to resuming the program once the state has provided the legal structure that gives the community the assurance it deserves. The longer the suspension continues beyond that point, the greater the cost in investigations delayed, vehicles not recovered, and vulnerable residents not protected.

If the session closes without SB 6002 passing, the department recommends that Council provide direction on reinstatement under enhanced written policy rather than continued indefinite suspension.

5. TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE & OVERSIGHT FRAMEWORDK

All RPD technology programs operate under a unified governance structure. Relevant governing documents include:

- RPD Policy 341 - Public Safety Technology Data Governance: Standards for data collection, retention, access, auditing, and community transparency across all technology systems. Publicly available at redmond.gov.
- RPD Policy 612 - Automated License Plate Readers: Specific operational and data handling requirements for ALPR systems. Publicly available at redmond.gov.
- RCW 10.93.160 - Keep Washington Working Act: Binding state law restricting use of state resources for immigration enforcement, with which all RPD technology programs comply.
- SB 6002 (pending): Once enacted, the state will establish the first comprehensive ALPR governance statute, creating mandatory statewide standards that supersede and reinforce existing local policy.

The department also proposes establishing a regular public-facing technology transparency report annual, covering system access volume, incident categories, outcomes, and audit results to give every community member a direct window into how these tools are being used on their behalf.

OUTCOMES:

Following this briefing, the department requests that Council:

- Acknowledge receipt of the technology update and provide any immediate feedback or questions.
- Commit to authorizing resumption of the investigative ALPR program upon enactment of SB 6002, with policy updates to comply with the new state law.
- In the event SB 6002 does not pass during the current session (closing March 12, 2026), provide direction on the path forward for investigative ALPR so the department can manage equipment and communicate clearly with the community.
- Indicate any areas where Council would like additional information, independent review, or community
engagement prior to future action.

Deflock Broward @deflockbroward.bsky.social · 5mo ago

A redesign before we even have followers? Bold strategy. The site looks much better now. More importantly, it's easier to actually read what's going on with license plate surveillance in Broward: what's installed, what it collects, and what nobody officially wants to talk about. deflockbroward.org

Deflock Broward — ALPR Surveillance in Broward County, FL

Deflock Broward uses public records to document how automated license plate reader systems operate in Broward County, Florida — and makes the case for their removal.

deflockbroward.org

Deflock Broward @deflockbroward.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Hey Bluesky! Deflock Broward here. We pull public records on license plate reader (ALPR) surveillance and post the receipts (plus plain-English notes). We’re starting with Weston: deflockbroward.org/weston #DeflockBroward #WestonFL #Broward #Florida #ALPR #FlockSafety #Privacy #PublicRecords

Weston | Deflock Broward

What the public record shows about Weston’s fixed ALPR (license plate reader) system — what happened, what it does, what’s unclear, and what residents can ask for.

deflockbroward.org

DeFlock Atlanta @deflockatlanta.org · 5mo ago

"One community organizer pointed out that the network “doesn’t run through a network we control,” and called on the council to act, FOX 13 Seattle reported. You can help stop this intrusion. deflock.me deflockatlanta.org Find your Local Group - deflock.org/groups #trending #viral #fyp

Lynnwood Cancels Flock Camera Contract Over Privacy Concerns

Lynnwood cancels Flock camera contract amid privacy and ICE‑access concerns.

hoodline.com