Automated license plate readers in Highland
The short version: The Press-Enterprise's look at Highland's license plate readers is a reminder that these cameras are spreading into every corner of Southern California with little public debate.
Our Take
Local news outlets like The Press-Enterprise are doing exactly what needs to happen more often: pointing a camera at the cameras. Highland is a small city, but its decision to wire up automated license plate readers is part of a much bigger pattern playing out across San Bernardino County and the rest of the country — city councils quietly approving Flock Safety contracts with minimal scrutiny, usually pitched as a simple crime-fighting tool.
What rarely gets mentioned in these local rollout stories is where all that plate data actually goes once it's collected. Flock's networked systems don't just serve one city — they feed into a sprawling, searchable database that other agencies, and in some documented cases outside agencies with very different priorities, can query. A resident driving through Highland has no way of knowing who's tracking their movements, for how long, or why. That's the real story behind every one of these 'new cameras coming to town' segments.
We appreciate The Press-Enterprise for putting a spotlight on it. If you want to see whether Highland or your own neighborhood is on the grid, check our camera map, and if you'd rather not just watch this expand unchecked, our take-action page has concrete steps for pushing back at the local level.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of The Press-Enterprise, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.