MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors has rejected a proposed agreement with Flock Safety, directing the Sheriff’s Office to end its access to the company’s automated license plate reader system and remove 63 cameras within 60 days.
In a 3-2 vote at their Sept. 22 meeting, Supervisors Wendy Root Askew, Kate Daniels and Glenn Church voted against the agreement, while Luis Alejo and Chris Lopez — who represent the majority of Salinas and South Monterey County, respectively — voted in favor.
Monterey County Sheriff’s Office had initially sought a 10-year, nearly $2.8 million agreement that would have expanded the county’s Flock network from 63 cameras to 103. The proposal was later scaled back, and the item before the board last Tuesday sought authorization to negotiate a 10-year, $1.7 million agreement to maintain the existing 63 cameras.
The 63 cameras had been approved by the board in two stages, with three approved in November 2023 and 60 more in June 2024. Three of the cameras are located at the Monterey County Government Center and were funded by the County Administrative Office Risk Management Department.
The Sheriff’s Office’s previous agreement with Flock expired July 25. The company continued providing service while a new agreement was being negotiated to avoid an interruption in access.
The board’s decision followed several hours of discussion and public comment, with concerns raised about privacy, data access, how information could be used or shared, and the length and terms of the proposed agreement. The Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office had argued that the technology provides an investigative tool for law enforcement.
In a statement released Friday, Undersheriff Keith Boyd said the decision would affect the Sheriff’s Office’s ability to access information beyond its own cameras.
“With the termination of our access, we lose more than cameras along Monterey County roadways; we lose that broader investigative reach,” Boyd said.
Boyd added that the Sheriff’s Office has used the Flock network to access information from participating agencies throughout Monterey County and hundreds of law enforcement agencies across California. He said the loss of access could make some investigations more difficult and take longer.
The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for law enforcement across roughly 3,800 square miles of unincorporated Monterey County. Boyd noted that the department typically has about eight patrol deputies deployed across the area at a given time, including two in South County, two along the coast and four in the central Salinas area.
Boyd said the Sheriff’s Office will terminate its access to the system and have its cameras removed within 60 days. The board’s decision applies to the Sheriff’s Office cameras and does not affect Flock cameras operated by cities or private entities.
Roots of Resistance, a community coalition that organized opposition to the proposed agreement through the “Get the Flock Out” Monterey campaign, praised the supervisors who voted against it in a statement posted to social media following last Tuesday’s meeting.
“We are so grateful to all the community members who showed up, whether it was in person or via zoom. We are so grateful to all of the organizations of this coalition to get the flock out of Monterey County. And we are grateful to supervisors Daniels, Root Askew and Church for hearing the people of the community and representing us the way they are supposed to,” stated the coalition.
The Sheriff’s Office has said it will evaluate other personnel, technology, training, partnerships and investigative resources as it adjusts to the loss of the Flock system.
