1 David Yakobson
From: Phil's Eighty Grand Electric Mercedes <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 22, 2024 11:00 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Gleam Davis; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis
Subject: 5H license plate cameras April 23
EXTERNAL
Dear city councilmembers, did you know license plate reader tickets go to cars like me, not our drivers? That's why I'm thankful my owner Phil keeps me safe from tickets by not putting license plates on me, or when he does, buying nifty license plate covers that at least keep the mean snitching cameras from reading them. Thank you for keeping me out of trouble, Mayor Phil!
Item 5-H
April 23, 2024
Item 5-H
April 23, 2024
1 David Yakobson
From: Wittig, Michele A <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2024 2:45 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 5H: Automated License Plate Recognition Cameras
EXTERNAL
Mayor Brock and Councilmembers,
Re: Item 5H on the April 23, 2024 Council agenda
Award Bid and Enter into Agreement with Flock Safety for Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras and Award Bid and Enter into Agreement with Constant Technologies for SMART Center Room Build-Out Services I urge you to delay your vote on Item 5H until reasonable safeguards are incorporated.
Unlike “red light cameras” that are triggered by drivers breaking the law, ALPRs continuously surveil an entire driving population. Such surveillance poses high risks for misuse. The proposed contracts with outside vendors need to include independent accountability components to ensure that the intelligence collected is used lawfully, effectively and equitably.
As a first step, the Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission’s Inspector General or another independent agent should be tasked with doing 1) a prior evaluation of safeguards against illegal, ineffective, or inequitable use of the ALPR data and 2) an annual public audit of the system (including the 25 ALPRs already deployed in the downtown area).
In addition, traffic stops initiated as a result of being flagged by ALPRs should be identified separately from other traffic stops so that their contribution to racial and other identity-based disparities can be assessed when analyzing the data in compliance with AB953, the CA Racial and Identity Profiling Act.
I urge you to delay your vote on Item 5H until the relevant concerns are addressed.
Michele Wittig
Item 5-H
April 23, 2024
Item 5-H
April 23, 2024