As Cleveland officials weigh a contract renewal with , some residents are demanding the city cut ties with the surveillance company.
Bryn Adams of the 鈥淔lock No鈥� coalition said the data collected by automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) is personally invasive and potentially dangerous.
"I don鈥檛 want to be followed everywhere I go," Adams said at a Wednesday press conference held at City Hall. "I don鈥檛 want the city of Cleveland to know which doctor鈥檚 appointments I鈥檓 going to, whose house I鈥檓 going to, whether I frequent certain places of worship. That鈥檚 my business, that鈥檚 not the city of Cleveland鈥檚 business."
Mayor Justin Bibb has the authority to renew the city's contract with Flock when it expires on June 28, and he originally planned to do so. But in a letter sent Tuesday to council members, he punted renewal options to them.
In a short discussion at Wednesday's safety committee meeting, Cleveland Public Safety Director Wayne Drummond said the administration plans to submit legislation extending the Flock contract for one year on June 1. Committee chair Mike Polensek said a special meeting will be scheduled in June.
Flock cameras capture images of every passing vehicle, storing data like license plate numbers and vehicle characteristics, such as color and whether it has bumper stickers.
Police praise ALPRs for helping officers find stolen cars or track down suspects, but some residents worry the data could be used for more than solving crimes.
Law enforcement agencies, or in some cases legislatures, set the amount of time images are stored. The standard is 30 days, and officers can, typically without a warrant, search for a particular license plate number or vehicle characteristic to see where it has travelled during a specific period. Officers can also ask to receive alerts when a particular vehicle or type of car passes by any camera in the system. Outside agencies can also ask for vehicle information through Flock.
That is worrisome for immigrant communities, said Rebecca Garcia of, a grassroots organization serving the Ohio's Latino community.
"Like my parents, many other immigrants come to this country hoping to achieve [the] promise of freedom and opportunity," Garcia said. "Many are fleeing violence in authoritarian political regimes that rely on invasive surveillance systems to monitor, police, and control their populations. These immigrants believe that America can be a place where people could live without fear of being constantly monitored, tracked or surveilled for simply trying to build a better future for their families."
As President Donald Trump's administration continues to crack down on immigration enforcement, Garcia said the communities she serves have serious concerns about potential data sharing with U.S. Immigrations Customs and Enforcement.
Flock , and that any direct access to cameras or data must be with the permission of the municipality using the software.
But the company does have established federal customers, such as National Parks, Veterans Affairs hospitals and military bases. Flock said those organizations can "establish 1:1 sharing relationships with any other legal law enforcement agency on the Flock Safety platform."
This winter, Bibb鈥檚 administration proposed expanding Flock鈥檚 contract to replace the city鈥檚 existing gunshot detection technology this winter. That proposal stalled, and Bibb pushed through an $853,000 contract renewal with ShotSpotter without council's approval.
A public safety spokesperson said that one-year renewal would give the city time to review contract bids from other technology companies.
Other cities have . Local activists are hoping Cleveland follows suit.
"Let's be clear: Flock Safety is not interested in the safety and wellbeing of Clevelanders," said Bishop Chui, a Glenville resident and community activist. "Our public safety should not be in the hands of tech oligarchs."
Matthew Richmond contributed to this report.
