Protesters gather outside San Diego federal building demanding end to Flock camera contract

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) Protesters gathered outside the San Diego Federal Building today, demanding the city end its contract with Flock, an automated license plate reader company.Some demonstrators dressed in costume including one protester in a Darth Vader costume who appeared at a city council meeting to draw attention to what they describe as serious privacy concerns.Flock automated license plate reader cameras are deployed at 500 locations around San Diego and are used by the San Diego Police Department in criminal investigations. That data is stored in a searchable software system accessible to law enforcement officers.SDPD says the cameras have helped locate stolen cars and missing children.Protesters with the Trust SD Coalition cited two primary concerns with the technology. The first is the potential for abuse.

CNN has reported several incidents across the country not in San Diego in which officers used the technology to stalk former girlfriends.Homayra Yusufi, a member of the Trust SD Coalition, spoke about the harm she has witnessed."I've seen individuals who were harmed by this technology, I've seen women who have been stalked... I see the privacy concerns for all San Diegans," Yusufi said.The second concern is cost. Contracts to keep the cameras running cost millions of dollars at a time when the city has raised parking rates and closed public restrooms due to budget shortfalls.SDPD argues the technology is a worthwhile investment.

Kristopher McAndrew, who oversees the ALPR program, with SDPD, addressed the department's staffing and budget challenges."We're suffering from staffing shortages, from budget cuts at our own departments ... we're able to close out cases faster, apprehend suspects quicker," McAndrew said.Trevor Chandler, the Senior Director of Public Affairs for Flock, defended the company's commitment to transparency and compliance."Flock is the most transparent law enforcement tool in the country ... Flock has tripled down on innovating in the compliance and trust space," Chandler said.Central to the debate are the safeguards governing how the technology is used and who has access to the data it collects.

Protesters in downtown San Diego rallied to demand the removal of automated license plate reader cameras due to privacy and surveillance concerns.