Full transcript
GOING TO BE GREAT. I'M BOB
BUCKLEY.
TONIGHT, CITY OF RICHMOND IS
DEBATING WHETHER TO EXTEND OR
SHUTDOWN FLOCK SAFETY CAMERAS.
THIS AFTER DEACTIVATING THE
CAMERAS LAST YEAR DUE PRIVACY
CONCERNS, CITY COUNCIL
RECEIVED A LETTER THREATENING
LITIGATION JUST BEFORE THE
MEETING. KRON 4 SARAH STINSON
JOINS US LIVE AT CITY HALL
WITH THE LATEST DETAILS.
SARAH.
NO MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE
SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. THAT
PUBLIC COMMENT GOING ON AS WE
SPEAK RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE
WARNING CITY COUNCIL, THESE
CAMERAS COULD VIOLATE STATE
LAW. OTHERS SAYING SINCE THE
CAMERAS WERE TURNED OFF, THE
CITY HAS BEEN LESS SAFE.
RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL DECIDING
WHETHER TO EXTEND ITS CONTRACT
WITH FLOCK SAFETY OR END THE
PROGRAM FOR GOOD OPPONENTS
ARGUE THAT AS A SANCTUARY
CITY, RICHMOND SHOULD NOT RISK
LICENSE PLATE DATA BEING
ACCESSED BY FEDERAL
IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES. WE
REALLY FEAR THAT THIS AGENDA
ITEM WILL JEOPARDIZE ALL THE
WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TO
SUPPORT IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES
RIGHT NOW. BUT SUPPORTERS SAY
THEY'VE SEEN A NOTICEABLE
INCREASE IN CRIME SINCE THE
CAMERAS WERE SHUT OFF LAST
YEAR. CAR INCREASED 30%
NEIGHBORHOOD. WE NEED TO
FLOCKS.
BECAUSE AGAIN, OUR IS TO GET
AWAY STREET WHEN THERE'S A
SHOOTING OR A ROBBERY. THE
LICENSE PLATE READERS WERE
TURNED OFF AFTER THE POLICE
CHIEF LEARNED DATA WAS
ACCESSED BY OUTSIDE AGENCIES
RAISING PRIVACY CONCERNS.
OTHER BAY AREA CITIES
INCLUDING MOUNTAIN VIEW, HAVE
ALSO ENDED THEIR CONTRACT WITH
FLOCK FOR SIMILAR REASONS. NOW
THE CHIEF IS RECOMMENDING THE
CAMERAS BE TURNED BACK ON
THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST. THEN
RE-EVALUATED, HE SAYS THAT
TIME WOULD BE ALLOWED FOR
COMMUNITY INPUT ON TECHNOLOGY
CONCERNS IN A REVIEW OF FLOCK
ON IT. BUT SECURE JUSTICE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BRIAN OFFER
SAYS MOVING FORWARD COULD
VIOLATE STATE LAW THAT WE JUST
GOT PUBLIC RECORDS FROM THEM
THAT HAVE BEEN OUTSTANDING FOR
MONTH. HOFFER CLAIMS THE CITY
HAS ALREADY VIOLATED A STATE
LAW PROHIBITING THE SHARING OF
INFORMATION FROM LICENSE PLATE
READERS WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES
AND RICHMOND HAS SHARED WITH
MORE THAN 2700 CALIFORNIA
AGENCIES. 10'S OF THOUSANDS
TIMES.
TO THEN SEE RICHMAN
ESSENTIALLY DOUBLING DOWN AND
WANTING TO GIVE MORE MONEY TO
FLOCK, ACTUALLY EXPAND THE
CONTRACT. IT'S JUST THAT. I
POLICE MAINTAIN THE CAMERAS
SIMPLY CAPTURE LICENSE PLATE.
IMAGES USED TO HELP
INVESTIGATE CRIMES, WHICH CASE
THAT STORE.
INVESTIGATION. AND SINCE
THAT PUBLIC COMMENT IS GOING
ON RIGHT NOW, NO DECISION HAS
BEEN MADE BY CITY COUNCIL.
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