San Diego council committee votes to terminate Flock ALPR contract; full council must confirm

Event: October 13, 2025 · First reported: October 22, 2026 · 6 sources

The San Diego City Council's Budget and Government Efficiency Committee voted Wednesday to end the city's contract with Flock Safety for automated license plate reader cameras. The recommendation is not final and requires a vote by the full City Council, which approved the contract in 2023 and renewed it multiple times since. Councilman Stephen Whitburn, a repeat supporter of the program, said on Oct. 13 that he had changed his position, a shift that could produce a 5-4 majority to terminate.

Why this matters

San Diego would be among the larger U.S. cities to reverse an existing ALPR deployment, and the stated reason — concern that camera data could feed federal immigration enforcement — is a question facing many jurisdictions with similar contracts.

Key facts

The committee vote was advisory; termination requires approval by the full San Diego City Council.
The council originally approved the Flock Safety ALPR contract in 2023 and reauthorized it several times.
Whitburn said he had previously backed the cameras on public safety grounds and believes the police department used them responsibly.
Whitburn attributed his reversal to fear in local communities over the Trump administration and ICE immigration enforcement, saying many residents worry Flock cameras are being used in that crackdown.
The article does not report any finding that San Diego Flock data was in fact accessed by ICE.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

City Council Votes To End Flock Camera Contract (Newsradio 600 KOGO, October 22, 2026)
Excelsior Springs City Council Votes 5-0 to Remove Flock Cam... (Excelsior Citizen, October 20, 2026)
Excelsior Springs city council votes to terminate Flock contract (kctv5.com, October 20, 2026)
Excelsior Springs ends the city’s contract with Flock Safety (Newsbreak, October 20, 2026)
Excelsior Springs City Council votes unanimously to end the city’s contract with Flock Safety (KSHB 41 Kansas City, October 20, 2026)
Excelsior Springs Ends Flock Camera Contract (Hoodline, October 20, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated October 22, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.