Flock and other companies that manufacture ALPR cameras across the U.S. are facing increasing public, legal, and political backlash. Police departments defend the $8.4 billion network by saying it allows them to quickly solve violent crimes and track stolen vehicles, but critics condemn it as an unregulated, warrantless dragnet monitoring the daily movements of citizens who have committed no crimes.
Martin’s comments came amid mounting scrutiny of Flock Safety, whose automated license plate readers have been adopted by law enforcement agencies across the country to track vehicle movements and record distinguishing characteristics of vehicles, like bumper stickers, dents, missing hubcaps, etc. A growing number of communities, including Paonia here on the western slope, have reconsidered or ended their contracts with the company entirely following reports that the data has been misused.
Martin said people and municipalities across the country are “rejecting Flock because of misuse of the data that has included race-based tracking and tracking of women traveling to get abortions.”
You can see a video of Martin’s full remarks here.
Martin, a small business owner and community organizer from Palisade, is running for the House District 54 seat, which covers communities across Mesa and Delta counties. She is running for the seat currently held by Republican Matt Soper. Her campaign has centered on healthcare access, affordable housing, and protecting Coloradans’ privacy and civil liberties from government and corporate overreach.
For more information on the candidate, visit malloryforcolorado.com.
