Perris City Council Votes 3-2 to Suspend Flock License Plate Reader Contract, a First in the Inland Empire
PERRIS — The City Council of Perris, in Riverside County, California, voted 3-2 on the night of November 10 to suspend the city's agreement with surveillance technology company Flock Safety for automated license plate reader services, making Perris the first city in the Inland Empire to suspend a contract with the company. Mayor Michael Vargas and Councilmember David Starr Rabb voted against suspension, favoring renewal.
Before the council was a two-year renewal priced at $616,584 in total. The council first approved a two-year Flock Safety agreement on March 26, 2024, to purchase and install license plate recognition cameras, replacing a previous contract with Vigilant Solutions for the same service. That agreement expired on June 30 and has continued month to month since, pending the council's renewal decision. Capt. Kevin Lamb of the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, commander of the Perris Station, told the meeting the city currently has 104 Flock license plate reader cameras, which deputies use to help locate stolen vehicles and missing or endangered persons and to support criminal investigations.
The council received six letters opposing renewal, and 15 residents spoke at the meeting, all against the contract, citing privacy, the risk of misuse by law enforcement, and the sharing of data with outside agencies. Councilmember Marisela Nava, who voted to suspend, said she has serious concerns about the tool and that it is not making her community feel safe, adding that if better safeguards or regulations exist in the future, the council could consider a similar program at that time. Councilmember Malcolm Corona, who also voted to suspend, said combating vehicle theft was one of the main reasons the city originally pursued license plate reader technology.
Every council member was explicit about supporting the sheriff's deputies who provide law enforcement services in Perris. The suspension is not a permanent ban, and whether the agreement is later restored or replaced remains for the council to decide.
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(Source: Perris City Council)
Source: Perris City Council
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Perris 市政厅（市民中心，市议会厅所在地）与门前喷泉（资料图）。Seauton 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Perris City Hall (the Civic Center, home of the council chambers) and its fountain (file photo). By Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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