Flock cameras to come down in El Cerrito

EL CERRITO — Amid concerns Flock Safety cameras in El Cerrito are still functioning despite officials agreeing to end a contract with the surveillance company, the police department said the cameras are not operating and will soon be coming down.

In May, the City Council voted to end a three-year $315,000 agreement with Flock Safety, one of the largest surveillance technology companies in the nation.

But social media videos of red lights emanating from the cameras, largely automatic license plate readers distributed across the city, raised concerns among some that footage was still being captured.

In a statement Thursday, the El Cerrito Police Department said they’ve been assured by Flock Safety that the cameras have been decommissioned since June 6 and the city’s contract with the company expired.

The red lights are motion activated infrared signals, Flock told the department. Infrared lights are used at night to more clearly capture license plate information, according to the Flock Safety website.

Crews will begin removing the 40 Flock Safety cameras installed in the city between July 30 and Aug. 18, the department said.

“We recognize the community’s interest in this matter and remain committed to keeping city staff, elected officials, and the public informed as the camera removal progresses,” the agency said.

Flock Safety confirmed the status of the cameras in a statement Thursday.

“El Cerrito’s cameras are not collecting images. The infrared lights are motion-triggered, but the cameras are offline. Our team is working to schedule the removal,” Flock Safety spokesperson Paris Lewbel said in a statement.

Debates over the use of Flock Safety cameras and similar surveillance systems have popped up across Bay Area cities. While law enforcement agencies have argued the equipment is a helpful tool for quickly responding to and solving crimes, civilians have raised concerns about the cameras being used to assist federal immigration officials with deportation operations and for the potential misuse and abuse of the systems.

Multiple federal agencies had access to El Cerrito’s license plate reader data between June 2023, when the cameras were first installed, and August 2023, when the police department took administrative control of the cameras. Agencies with access included the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, GSA OFFICE of the Inspector General and National Parks Service.

The city learned of the temporary access in February following a police department audit into the use of the license plate readers.

Elsewhere in the East Bay, Richmond Police Chief Tim Simmons decided in October 2025 to disable more than 150 Flock Safety cameras in the city due to privacy concerns. Per Simmons’ request, the council voted 4-3 in March to extend the contract through the end of the year, bringing the cameras back online.

The cities of Oakland, Brentwood, Antioch and Oakley have voted to extend their contracts with Flock Safety, while Mountain View officials voted unanimously in February to end their use of the system.