El Paso City Representatives raise privacy concerns over Flock camera program
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- Two El Paso city representatives are raising concerns about the city’s use of license plate-reading cameras, saying the technology could threaten residents’ privacy, particularly in immigration matters.
City Reps. Lily Limon and Chris Canales placed the item on the agenda for discussion at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. They say Flock cameras, which are installed across the city, have the potential to be misused.
“My biggest concern with it is the use of the Flock cameras for immigration issues,” Limon said. “That to me is a very sensitive topic.”
There are about 150 Flock cameras operating in El Paso.
Limon said they have seen similar programs in other cities used in ways that target certain groups of people.
“We have seen other cities where the same concept, the same program has been used poorly,” Limon said. “It has been used to target people.”
Michael Soyfer, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, said the concern centers on how the cameras collect and store data. The cameras capture license plate information, which is stored for 30 days and can be searched by police officers.
Soyfer said he has represented residents in other cities who challenged the use of Flock cameras.
“We’ve seen all sorts of misuse, ranging from personal to sort of heavy-handed government enforcement,” Soyfer said. “There have been stories of immigration getting access to this information to hunt down people. There have been stories about officers using it to stalk their ex-partners.”
Limon acknowledged the system can help solve crimes but said broader safety and privacy concerns remain.
“We’re not like other cities,” she said. “I want to hope that because of our city and a community built by immigrants, that we don’t have the accessibility through a back door for someone to come in and gather the data.”
The city agreement with the company Flock is up for renewal in May, City Council is scheduled to discuss the item at its meeting Tuesday.
