The fight against automated license plate readers (ALPRs) in Elk Grove continues! In today’s newsletter we briefly address the issues with the false belief that mass surveillance reduces crime and keeps us safe. At the end of this message, you’ll find information on how to get involved in this movement locally. But first, we have information about an in-person and Zoom/virtual public comment opportunity this week.
City Council Meeting THIS Wednesday at 6 p.m.
This week the Elk Grove City Council will meet on Wednesday, October 28th at 6:00 p.m. Flock and ALPRs are not on the agenda. However, residents are encouraged to speak on any and all topics that aren’t on the agenda during the Non-Agenda comment period near the beginning of the meeting. What would you like the city council to do about Flock/ALPRs in Elk Grove? This is a great time to tell them!
You can attend the meeting in-person at 8400 Laguna Palms Way, Elk Grove (located in Elk Grove Council Chambers, across the street from City Hall). Fill out a blue card, indicating that you want speak on a Non-Agenda item, then hand your card to the clerk.
Alternately, you can now make a comment remotely, via Zoom or phone call. After you are called on and make your comment, hang up and go about the rest of your evening. It’s easy and quick, with much less time taken out of your night than attending in-person!
More Info:
- How to Comment at Elk Grove City Council Meetings (In-person or remote/virtual)
- Comment Examples by Topic (more examples coming soon!)
- Want to contact the mayor or city council members outside of council meeting public comments? Find their contact information here.
Surveillance is Not Safety
ALPR companies collect massive amounts of data including, but not limited to, license plate numbers, real-time locations, and human characteristics. This treasure trove of information allows its law enforcement customers to track anyone they want. But, does this actually make us safer? Does this prevent or reduce crime?
Various studies have shown that license plate readers do not significantly reduce crime or improve crime clearance (solve) rates. Crime is a complex issue and many factors contribute to it such as poverty, housing insecurity, and mental illness. Preventing crime requires a multifaceted approach that surveillance technologies cannot meaningfully contribute to. Funding services that address the causes of crime should be a priority for cities and counties, to prevent crimes from happening in the first place.
In Sacramento last month, Sheriff Jim Cooper praised Flock for being instrumental in apprehending the suspect of a fatal shooting, claiming that using the Flock surveillance network helped the police catch the suspect quickly. Finding the suspect quickly did not prevent this crime. The police could only use ALPRs to react to a tragedy, not prevent it. Tragically, what might have prevented this crime has nothing to do with ALPRs but could lie in better policing or other community services. The victim, Shalini Thakur, had been stalked and harassed by the shooter for months and even filed for a restraining order. She is dead whether or not ALPRs led the police to the suspect in under ten minutes.
Depending on who you are, ALPRs may well make you less safe. Law enforcement agencies have a well-documented history of misusing mass surveillance tools, including ALPR cameras, throughout the country, especially when it comes to romantic partners. In Kansas, an officer was arrested for using Flock ALPRs to stalk his wife. An officer in Ohio used ALPRs to stalk an ex-girlfriend. A Michigan officer used ALPRs to look up addresses of women he found attractive. Closer to home, a Stockton police officer was recently fired over his misuse of Flock cameras. These are just a few of the more than 200 documented cases by the Institute of Justice (IJ), which tracks these cases through a “Database of ALPR Abuse” (scroll down to the U.S. map).
If license plate readers do not prevent or reduce crime, what is it they offer our community? The City of Elk Grove has approved expenditures of $1.6 million in its ALPR contract with Flock Safety. Is “safety” indeed what we are getting in return, or instead have we traded our privacy for an illusion?
Want to Get More Engaged with DeFlock Efforts?
Help Spread the Word!
Help grow this movement in Elk Grove! Tell your neighbors about what’s going on with ALPRs in our community. Here is a printable Canvassing flyer PDF. Print double-sided and cut into fourths. If your printer supports “borderless” printing, select that option.
Our digital flyer is two graphics that you can share on social media, or send to neighbors via email/text: Digital-Page 1 and Digital-Page 2
Engage on Social Media
We regularly post from our official account on Instagram and Facebook. Like, share, and comment on our posts to boost engagement! For folks who use Reddit, Nextdoor, and other apps, please feel free to link or screenshot our content from Instagram to share there.
Sign the Petition!
If you haven’t already, will you take a minute to sign the petition to get ALPRs out of Elk Grove? And after you sign, can you share it with five people you know who live here? Once we get enough signatures from Elk Grove residents, we will deliver it to the city government.