Flock Cameras and Privacy

The issue should be placed on a council agenda immediately. Council members must publicly state where they stand and establish clear rules governing the system’s use.

As a former engineer at General Motors working on Automated Driving System and self driving technologies, I understand how data-sharing systems operate, how information can be misused, and what safeguards the council should demand.

Flock cameras raise significant privacy concerns, particularly when information is shared through regional, statewide, or national networks. From what I have seen, adequate protections are not currently in place.

If Desert Hot Springs continues using Flock cameras, access must be limited to legitimate local law-enforcement purposes, with strong rules governing data access, retention, and sharing.

As a councilmember, I would not have dodged the mass surveillance issue. I’d have demanded a vote.