BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield's network of Flock cameras recorded more than 850,000 license plate reads in a single 30-day period, and the data those cameras collect can be shared beyond local law enforcement, raising questions about privacy, oversight, and who ultimately controls the information.
Every time a vehicle passes a Flock camera, the system can create a searchable record of its license plate, description, location, and time. That data is accessible not only to the Bakersfield Police Department, but also to a regional intelligence-sharing network that spans multiple states.
Bakersfield mother Dawn said she had never even noticed the cameras until recently.
"I guess I feel like it could be really beneficial, but I wonder what they're being used for — because my car was stolen on the Fourth of July, and there was little to no effort put into locating it once I reported it."
Dawn said a friend eventually found the vehicle, and she recovered it herself. Her experience left her questioning not only how effective the cameras are, but how the information they collect is being used and shared.
A regional sharing network:
BPD's public Flock transparency portal lists the Western States Information Network — known as WSIN — as a sharing partner. WSIN supports law enforcement investigations across Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.
BPD said its agreement does not give WSIN unrestricted access and that BPD's information cannot be used outside California. However, the department said it may receive license plate reader data from out-of-state agencies, depending on their policies.
What BPD says about safeguards:
BPD said access to its Flock system is limited to authorized, trained personnel. Every search requires a call or case number and a documented justification. The department said it conducts daily, monthly, and random audits, generally retains data for 30 days, and has found no substantiated improper use.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office separately said it does not access or share Flock information outside California, requires a case number for searches, and said searches are audited both internally and by Flock.
Congressman calls for transparency:
When I asked Congressman David Valadao about WSIN, he said he was not familiar with the network. After learning about its regional role, he called for greater transparency.
"Some more research needs to be done and make sure that it is a transparent process for the public to know what's actually being shared, what's actually being viewed, and who has access to it and for what purposes," Valadao said.
Valadao said he supports the cameras' core public safety function but expressed concern about data being accessible to agencies outside the local area.
He said he would support federal legislation to limit how long data can be stored and to restrict which agencies can access it, though he stopped short of committing to any specific bill.
"We want to make sure that if we put some policy in place is to protect the privacy of our citizens to the best of our ability," Valadao said.
Valadao also said stronger safeguards are needed to prevent misuse by individual officers, including supervisor-level review of searches and stiff penalties for anyone who abuses access to the system.
The larger question for lawmakers is whether those local safeguards should become the standard nationwide.
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