AUBURN, Wash. —The City of Auburn and the Auburn Police Department have clarified their stance on the use of Flock cameras following reports that the U.S. Border Patrol gained direct access to the system.
In a press release, the agencies emphasized that this access happened without their knowledge and reaffirmed their commitment to preventing federal immigration enforcement agencies from accessing the cameras.
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Auburn’s Flock cameras are intended “strictly for legitimate criminal law enforcement and public safety purposes,” according to police and officials.
Any agency found using Auburn’s Flock data for immigration enforcement will have its access permanently revoked.
What is a Flock camera?
A Flock camera is a type of automated license plate reader (ALPR) that captures images of vehicles’ license plates and other characteristics, ostensibly for law enforcement and other organizations to investigate and reduce crime. It uses AI to identify vehicle make, model, color, and other details to create a “vehicle fingerprint,” which can then be further connected to the owner of the car and people connected to the owner.
The police department stated that while Flock’s national network allows information sharing across the country, they have not knowingly granted access to any agency affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, or other immigration enforcement.
Upon discovering that Flock’s “National Lookup” feature might have allowed unintended access, Auburn Police leadership disabled the feature to prevent any potential backdoor access by federal agencies.
The department said it has also introduced enhanced monitoring protocols, including monthly reviews of usage data from the Flock system.
Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of public safety systems and the trust of the community. “The integrity of our public safety systems, and the trust our community places in them, is non-negotiable,” she said. “We will continue to take every measure necessary to safeguard our data, uphold state law, and ensure our technology is used only for lawful and ethical policing purposes.”
Officials stressed that regular monitoring of the Flock network will continue to ensure alignment with the city’s and state’s values and the expectations of the community.
The city of Mukilteo, which was also revealed to have had its Flock cameras accessed by ICE, asserted that it would similarly be blocking immigration enforcement access to its systems.
“This access was made without our permission and contravenes our department’s policy. The Mukilteo Police Department has not engaged in immigration enforcement activities and has not provided access to federal agencies for immigration purposes,” representatives said in a press release. The city added that its systems have been secured against any further unauthorized access.
트위터 공유: 아убур 경찰 연방 이민 집행 접근 차단 강화