Palo Alto starts Flock license-plate camera audit after backlash

Palo Alto remains split over Flock Safety, the company behind 30 automatic license-plate cameras in the city. The City Council is set to approve the scope of an audit. City auditor Baker Tilly cannot do the review because of work for Flock; the job goes to OIR Group, the independent police auditor. If the council approves the proposed scope, OIR will review policies on data sharing, outside access, and retention, plus “an overall assessment of the system’s value relative to its use and impact(s).”

The review follows reporting that Palo Alto data was shared with hundreds of other U.S. agencies, while official policy allows sharing only with agencies that have a formal agreement with police. In June the council considered dropping Flock, then chose an investigation first. A national lookup feature was on from mid-2023 to October 2024; police discovered that in December 2025.

Police Chief James Reifschneider said in June that Flock played a key evidence role in more than 130 cases. Between 2025 and 2026, residential burglaries fell 13 percent and car break-ins 24 percent. “I can tell you with confidence that I do think Flock is a contributing factor and a significant one.” City Manager Ed Shikada also pointed to finding an older man with dementia and suspects in armed robberies.

Privacy advocates see the system as a risk. Stanford and Mountain View recently dropped Flock. Attorney Cara Silver of Safety Over Surveillance said immigrants are afraid to drive. “Clearly, the guardrails were not effective here.” Mayor Vicki Veenker called it “a troubling issue” at the intersection of distrust of the federal government and the tech industry.