Palo Alto demands that the City Get The Flock Out! #deflock

Our Take

Credit to Matt Schlegel for getting this on camera: Palo Alto residents showing up and telling their city council, in plain terms, to get the Flock out. This is exactly the kind of local accountability moment that actually moves the needle — not a strongly worded op-ed, but people standing at the podium demanding their police department explain why a private surveillance company has a hand in municipal law enforcement.

The fact that an audit is even happening is a sign the "just trust us, it's only for stolen cars" pitch is wearing thin. Audits are a good start, but they're also how departments buy time and rebrand the same system with a new oversight committee attached. Residents in this clip aren't falling for that — they want the cameras down and the contract killed, full stop. That's the correct baseline position, because ALPR networks don't stay narrowly scoped. Once the infrastructure exists, the use cases expand, the data-sharing agreements multiply, and the promises made at rollout quietly stop applying.

If you're in Palo Alto or anywhere else wondering whether Flock has already landed in your city, check our camera map to see what's been documented near you, and if it has, use our take-action resources to show up at your own council meeting the way these residents did.