About the City’s Flock Safety Camera Program

The City of La Cañada Flintridge partners with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) to use Flock Safety cameras equipped with Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology as a public safety and law enforcement tool.

The cameras are located at selected entry and exit points and other strategic roadway locations throughout the community. Their purpose is to assist law enforcement in identifying vehicles that may be connected to criminal activity, locating wanted or missing persons, developing investigative leads and supporting other legitimate law enforcement investigations.

The system is not operated by City employees. City staff do not have access to the Flock system, do not view camera data and do not conduct searches. Law enforcement use of the system is administered by LASD.

Flock Camera Informational Discussion

The City’s Public Safety Commission will hold an informational discussion regarding the City’s Flock cameras at its Sept. 28 Public Safety Commission meeting at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (One Civic Center Drive).

This informational discussion, conducted by City staff and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), will focus on the history of Flock cameras in La Cañada Flintridge and how they are used. City staff and LASD will also answer residents’ questions.

Residents are encouraged to submit questions in advance using the form below. All questions submitted by the Sept. 24 deadline will be included with the meeting agenda packet.

Name
Please note: All questions submitted through this form are considered public record and may be subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act. For your privacy, contact information will not be collected through this form.

Quick Facts

Flock cameras read vehicles and license plates – not faces.

The cameras capture images of vehicles and license plates traveling in public rights-of-way. The system does not use facial recognition technology and does not identify drivers or passengers.

City employees cannot search the system.

City staff do not have access to Flock camera data or the Flock law enforcement system.

The cameras are used for law enforcement purposes.

The system is intended to support crime prevention and criminal investigations, including locating vehicles associated with crimes, wanted persons and missing-person cases such as AMBER Alerts.

The City’s Flock data is not shared nationwide.

The City’s system shares information with authorized law enforcement agencies within California only. It does not share information with law enforcement agencies outside California.

LASD requires accountability for searches.

LASD has advised the City that requiring a criminal case/incident number is standard operating procedure for its deployment of Flock.

Use of the system is audited.

LASD has advised the City that user audits are conducted routinely and that auditing responsibility is transitioning to the local station level with a designated station auditor.

Frequently Asked Questions

An Automatic License Plate Reader, or ALPR, is a camera system capable of capturing an image of a vehicle and reading its license plate using character-recognition technology. ALPR technology can assist law enforcement in determining whether a vehicle or license plate may be associated with a criminal investigation, stolen vehicle, wanted person, AMBER Alert or other law enforcement matter. Flock Safety is one type of ALPR technology used by LASD in La Cañada Flintridge.

No. LASD also utilizes mobile ALPR technology mounted on patrol vehicles. The City’s Flock program consists of fixed cameras placed at selected roadway locations. Both use ALPR technology, but they are different deployments of that technology.

Flock cameras capture information about vehicles traveling on public roadways, including images of vehicles and license plates. The City’s system does not use facial recognition technology and does not identify the driver or passengers of a vehicle.

The City authorized the cameras as an additional public safety resource for LASD. The cameras are strategically positioned at City entry and exit points and other roadway locations to assist investigators in identifying vehicles associated with crimes and determining their direction of travel. They can also assist law enforcement in identifying vehicles associated with wanted persons, stolen vehicles, missing persons and other legitimate law enforcement investigations. The cameras are not intended for general surveillance of residents.

No. City employees do not have access to the Flock law enforcement system, do not view Flock data and do not conduct searches using the system. Access and use are handled by law enforcement.

City employees do not have access to the Flock system and cannot view or search Flock camera data. The City’s Flock system permits information sharing with authorized law enforcement agencies within California only. Data from the City’s Flock system is not shared with law enforcement agencies outside California. Access is for legitimate law enforcement purposes and is subject to applicable policies, system controls and legal requirements.

No. Although Flock Safety operates systems used by law enforcement agencies across the country, the City of La Cañada Flintridge’s system is configured to share information with authorized law enforcement agencies within California only. The City’s Flock system does not share its information with law enforcement agencies outside California.

No. The City’s Flock system does not share its data with law enforcement agencies outside California.

No. Flock is a law enforcement database and its use is subject to LASD procedures and auditing requirements. LASD has advised the City that requiring a criminal/incident case number is standard operating procedure for its Flock deployment. Searches and user activity are logged and subject to audit. Use for personal or other unauthorized purposes is prohibited.

The City recognizes that residents may have concerns about potential misuse of ALPR technology, including reports of inappropriate use of similar systems in other jurisdictions. LASD has advised the City that safeguards include a criminal case/incident number requirement before performing a search, user authentication, records and audit logs of system activity, audit tools designed to identify irregular activity, regular user audits and investigation of suspected improper use.

LASD advised the City in August 2026 that it has conducted user audits routinely and is transitioning responsibility for those audits to a designated auditor at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station. As of August 4, 2026, the City had received no notification from LASD of identified or suspected misconduct or abuse involving the local deployment.

ALPR information is retained for a limited period in accordance with applicable law enforcement policies and state law and is automatically deleted unless it is preserved in connection with an active criminal investigation or legal proceeding. Because LASD operates and maintains the law enforcement system, questions concerning a specific record or applicable retention requirement should be directed to LASD.

No. The Flock cameras used by the City capture images of vehicles and license plates. They do not use facial recognition technology and do not identify the driver or passengers of a vehicle.

No. The technology provides information that may assist law enforcement with an investigation. A license plate detection or other information generated by the system is an investigative tool; law enforcement remains responsible for determining the appropriate investigative or enforcement response.

Yes. LASD has advised the City that user audits have been conducted routinely. Until July 21, 2026, auditing was centralized within LASD’s Advanced Surveillance and Protection unit. LASD is transitioning those responsibilities to the station level, and Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station has designated an auditor to perform that function.

LASD has advised the City that irregularities identified through the auditing process are subject to review and investigation. Crescenta Valley Station Captain has advised the City that suspected misuse will be thoroughly investigated and, if misconduct is established, the responsible individual or individuals will be held accountable.

Privacy, Security and Accountability

The City recognizes that public safety technology must be accompanied by appropriate safeguards and accountability.

  • City employees cannot access or search the system.
  • Access is limited to authorized law enforcement personnel.
  • The City’s system shares information with law enforcement agencies within California only.
  • The City’s system does not share information with Federal agencies.
  • The City’s Flock data is not shared with law enforcement agencies outside California.
  • The system is used for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
  • LASD requires a criminal case/incident number as part of its Flock procedures.
  • Searches and user activity are logged.
  • LASD conducts regular user audits.
  • Suspected misuse is subject to investigation.
  • The cameras do not use facial recognition technology.
  • The City is to be notified if LASD identifies suspected or actual misconduct involving the local deployment.

The City will continue working with LASD to ensure residents receive accurate information regarding the operation, oversight and safeguards associated with this public safety technology.

Questions About the Flock Program

Questions regarding the City’s public safety program may be directed to:

City of La Cañada Flintridge
City Manager’s Office
(818) 790-8880

Questions concerning law enforcement use of Flock, system access, individual searches, audit records or ALPR records should be directed to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Crescenta Valley Station.