We The People and residents of Novato, California, call on the City Council and Novato Police Department to terminate the city's contract with Flock Safety, decommission all Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras currently operating within city limits, and delete any ALPR data already collected.

Why we're asking for this:

• Mass surveillance without a warrant.
  A disgusting violation of our 4th Amendment rights. ALPR systems like Flock record the location, time, and vehicle details of every car that passes — regardless of whether that driver is suspected of any crime. This creates a permanent, searchable record of where Novato residents go, when, and how often
•   Data sharing beyond our control. Flock's default "National Lookup" feature allows law enforcement agencies across the country — including federal agencies — to search local camera data. Multiple California cities, including Mountain View and Santa Cruz, discovered only through public records requests that federal agencies had accessed their ALPR data without local authorization, in violation of California law, which prohibits sharing ALPR data with out-of-state or federal agencies without a court order or warrant issued by a California court.
• No demonstrated public safety benefit proportional to the cost. Novato has operated ALPRs since 2012. Despite justifications citing counterterrorism and serious crime, the city has been unable to point to suspected terrorists tracked through the system, and comparable cities have found the crime-prevention case thin relative to the ongoing cost and privacy tradeoff.
• A statewide trend Novato should join. Since early 2025, more than two dozen cities and counties nationwide — including Austin, TX, Eugene, OR, and Denver, CO — have canceled or rejected Flock contracts. In May 2026, the El Cerrito City Council voted to not renew its Flock contract, saving the city an estimated $315,000 over three years. Novato residents deserve the same reconsideration.

What we're asking the Council to do:

• Terminate or decline to renew the city's contract with Flock Safety at the next available opportunity.
• Decommission all ALPR cameras currently installed within Novato city limits.
• Delete all ALPR data already collected and stored.
• Disclose publicly, before any future vote on camera technology, full contract terms, cost, data retention periods, and every agency with current access to Novato's camera data.
• Hold a public hearing dedicated to this issue with advance public notice, before any decision to renew, expand, or continue any ALPR or Flock camera program.