Full transcript
We obtained records that show users with
Atlanta police login used a network of
thousands of surveillance cameras to
track migrants.
These are Flock Safety automated license
plate readers. But they don't just read
plates. They create a unique fingerprint
of every passing vehicle and hang on to
that data for 30 days. In March, a user
with an APD login searched the system
using the reason ERRO assist. ERO or
enforcement removal operations are the
ICE officers who actually snatch
migrants or lately citizens off the
streets. But APD told me the user who
did the ERO search doesn't even work for
the department. In another search, an
APD detective used the network with the
reason locate alien. Despite the
searches we found, an APD spokesperson
emailed me saying that the department
has not assisted any federal law
enforcement agencies with immigration
enforcement activities this year. But
with or without APD's direct assistance,
the city's flock cameras have still been
used for immigration enforcement
thousands of times this year alone. An
audit of APD's network shows that
outside agencies search the city's flock
cameras with reasons related to
immigration enforcement over 3,000
times. US Border Patrol also accessed
Atlanta's cameras directly over 3,000
times. Flock ended its pilot program
with Border Patrol in August, cutting
off the AY's direct access to the
system, but other departments can still
search the Flock network on its behalf.
At least eight cities across the country
have paused or ended their contracts
with Flock over privacy concerns. Flock
is an Atlanta based company with a
valuation of $7.5 billion as of March
this year. We started Flock in Atlanta
because it's our hope.
Flock CEO Garrett Langley and Atlanta
Mayor Andre Dickens have often appeared
together to promote Atlanta as a tech
hub. Most recently in October, the two
shared the stage is the opening keynote
in a venture capital conference in
Atlanta. Amidst the push back against
Flock, Langley has repeatedly stressed
that it's up to the individual
departments to determine how they use
their Flock network, who they allow
their information to be shared with, and
what keywords they allow to be searched.
Regardless of whether it's an APD
employee or those of any other law
enforcement agency searching the flock
network, it's clear that Atlanta plays a
central role in the surveillance of
migrants nationwide. If you appreciate
this type of investigative journalism,
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