Santa Ana officials are directing staff to compile a detailed report about how effective their automated license plate readers are and who has access to them before they decide if they want to be the next OC city to turn off the cameras.
Officials there are the latest in Orange County to reevaluate their license plate readers as expansion of the cameras spark privacy concerns from local residents and activists, worrying about data leaks and federal agencies accessing the cameras as well as police misuse.
It’s mirroring a nationwide debate that’s hitting city halls throughout the country.
In Orange County, police officials and some elected officials defend the technology, hailing it as a tool that helps solve crimes and arguing there are safeguards in place to prevent misuse of the cameras.
The latest reckoning expected in Santa Ana comes amid demands for police accountability over the viral violent arrest of a resident and scrutiny Santa Ana police arresting two immigrant advocates that were observing ICE agents last week, after the federal officers called for help.
All before an election in about two weeks in which the Santa Ana police union spent over $216,000 on mailers and ads supporting a host of candidates in local city council races and spent nearly $30,000 on ads and mailers opposing two council candidates, as of Oct.17.
Councilwoman Jessie Lopez requested the Flock contract review and a discussion about potentially turning them off after a recent Inadvertent article based on public records reported a fusion center accessed the data on behalf of federal agencies – entities city officials previously said won’t be able to search their system.
“A year ago back in May, when I warned that this technology could expose our community to federal surveillance and immigration enforcement, I was told in effect that these concerns would not materialize,” said Lopez, who is running for state assembly, at Tuesday’s city council meeting, pushing her colleagues to end the contracts for license plate readers.
“This is no longer a debate about what may happen.”
Mayor Valerie Amezcua, who is running for reelection, said she supported reviewing the license plate reader contracts and having that review first go to the city’s police oversight commission.
She also said police officers could use the cameras to make arrests and help address the gang violence in the city. She also said Santa Ana doesn’t have enough police officers and there are cameras everywhere in the city.
“Everywhere you go, you’re on a camera now,” Amezcua said. “Why? Because it’s the time that we live in now that people don’t feel safe in their homes. People don’t feel safe shopping. People don’t feel safe driving around, and if you say you do, then you’re being dishonest because there’s a lot of crime happening.”
Shortly after that, Amezcua said crime is down 17% throughout the city.
The police union has spent over $83,000 supporting her reelection campaign.
Santa Ana Data in Question
When a majority of officials approved spending up to roughly $700,000 on two automated license plate reader contracts in May 2025, police officials assured council members there would be access restrictions and they would remain in compliance with state sanctuary law.
On Tuesday, elected officials publicly questioned Police Chief Robert Rodriguez for the first time about the fusion center sharing data with federal agencies
“We started this conversation with the promise the data wouldn’t be leaked. We said we got it in control. There’s protocols. We’re going to be safe and then we get this article from Ben Camacho,” said Councilman Ben Vazquez at the meeting, calling for the contracts to be canceled
“This is about surveillance. People’s rights are being trampled.”
The police union spent nearly $10,000 on digital ads opposing his reelection campaign.
Rodriguez said the department doesn’t share access to the license plate reader system with out of state or federal agencies – instead blaming the data sharing on the fusion center.
“It wasn’t us who shared. They’re the ones who shared and we addressed it, and they said they were going to fix it. But in the meantime, we turned off sharing with that specified state agency so we currently, right now, don’t share with that state agency who shared with federal agencies and the other state agency,” he said.
City Attorney Sonia Carvalho admitted she didn’t think an issue like this could arise when asked about it last year.
“What we’ve learned is that it is possible that once the city of Santa Ana – it violates no rules – it lawfully shares with another entity that we lose control over the data,” she said at the meeting. “That is a legitimate concern that we could look at to see how we can control it.”
Councilman Phil Bacerra, who is running for reelection, said he supports reviewing the contract but worried Lopez’s request was quick to call for the end of the contracts.
“To just simply say we want data but we also want to just cut the contract – that just doesn’t make sense. I think we need the data and we need to see what our options are, and one of those options may be to cut ties with Flock. Another option might be to amend it,” he said.
Bacerra said the cameras are tools used to solve crime across the county and not having them in Santa Ana could attract more criminal activity to the city.
The police union spent over $38,000 in support of his campaign.
Santa Ana officials aren’t the only ones in OC contemplating whether to keep their contracts for Flock cameras.
Earlier this month, Fullerton officials became the first in the county to decide to temporarily turn off their automated license plate readers for six months after a host of residents raised privacy and mass surveillance concerns about their Flock cameras.
This past summer, officials in Costa Mesa – a city neighboring Santa Ana – decided to keep their contract for Flock cameras and called on staff to renegotiate it to tighten rules on data accessibility after a former police officer used the cameras to stalk his wife, an ex-girlfriend and his romantic rivals.
City Council Weighs In on Flock
As part of the May 2025 vote, Santa Ana officials called for an update on the effectiveness of the cameras in a year.
A year and half later, residents may finally get that update – one that could help elected officials decide whether to keep their cameras or not.
Councilman David Penaloza, who is running against Lopez for state assembly, said while he supported the technology last year, council members should consider canceling their automated license plate reader contracts if federal agencies have accessed the data.
“The privacy concerns that we are now seeing is a real concern that we should take a second to look at and pull the plug if we need to. I think that the benefits that this ALPR technology might have had, or we might have thought we had, definitely do not outweigh the privacy concerns and the cons that have now risen from this technology,” he said at the meeting..
He also said businesses like Home Depot are starting to use Flock cameras and called on staff to look into whether officials could regulate privately owned license plate readers.
Councilman Johnathan Hernandez said he is concerned the cameras are indiscriminately mass surveilling residents who are not criminals and supported getting rid of the license plate readers, adding there are officers capable of solving crime without them.
“We don’t need to investigate and surveillance hardworking Santaneros who are just going to the grocery store, going to work, and taking their kids to school,” Hernandez said. “I know that there are plenty of officers who have built 30-year careers without using Flock, and they effectively solved crime.”
Councilwoman Thai Viet Phan said she wanted a thorough report on the cameras and the focus should be on keeping the public safe in a city she said doesn’t have enough police officers, adding she wasn’t ready to end the contracts.
“To me, it’s about how do we best regulate a tool that is useful, and if we find that the pros and cons of its use in the city of Santa Ana is not well balanced, or that the pros do not outweigh the cons, then I’m happy to get rid of it,” she said.
“It’s not about surveillance. It’s about doing the best we can to solve crimes, prevent crimes, and to bring justice to victims with less and less resources.”
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org.
