Monterey County delays decision on Flock camera contract after public concerns

Our Take

Credit to KSBW Action News 8 for getting cameras on this one before the ink dried on a decade-long commitment. A 10-year contract is a long time to lock a county into a surveillance architecture that gets more invasive with every software update Flock ships — and $2.7 million is a lot of money to spend tripling down on a system nearly 70 cameras in unincorporated Monterey County already proved doesn't need expanding to keep growing in scope.

The resident who brought up the Fourth Amendment is onto something that county boards keep trying to wave away: scanning every plate at every tracked intersection, logging the comings and goings of people who've done nothing wrong, isn't a targeted investigative tool — it's a dragnet. Calling it a dragnet doesn't require a conspiracy theory, just basic math on how many innocent people get swept into a database because they drove to work or church or a protest. The security concerns raised at the meeting matter too; these networks have a documented history of breaches, misuse, and mission creep well beyond the stated purpose sold to a board at a single public hearing.

A delay isn't a win, it's a deadline. If you're in Monterey County, this is the window to show up before next month's vote and make the board feel the same pressure that stalled it this time. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your routes, and hit our take-action page for tools to push back before the contract gets signed for the next decade.