What is the state of mass surveillance in Berkeley?
TL/DR: Berkeley has 52 Flock ALPR cameras, but the City and police want to spend $2 million on drones, new pedestrian surveillance cameras, and AI-powered software that would combine all this surveillance data with Berkeley’s own evidence and records data. Unless we do something, the City will vote to approve this surveillance expansion on November 17, after elections but before newly elected councilmembers take office.
Flock Safety ALPRs
In October 2023, Berkeley City Council approved the City to rent 52 Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) in a pilot program with Flock Safety. After camera locations and permits were acquired, the first cameras were installed and operational by October 2024.
In September, 2026, these 52 cameras scan around 850,000 vehicles per month (Flock “transparency” portal). They form part of a network of over 140,000 Flock Cameras across the country, which collectively scan 20 billion vehicles per month.
Deflock.org provides the map shown here, where you can see where these cameras are in Berkeley and across the country.
Berkeley Seeks Surveillance Expansion
As if 850,000 scans per month are not enough, in early 2026, Berkeley City Council sought to expand the city’s surveillance apparatus. This proposal was assembled and strongly advocated for by the Berkeley Police Department (BPD).
The details of the proposal are listed in the adjacent box, and they represent a massive, $2 million expansion in the City’s surveillance capacity, providing totally new and invasive functionalities, all through Flock.
In response to major community outcry, City Council eventually decided not to immediately expand the contract with Flock. Instead, they opened the door to other vendors by initiating a Request for Proposals (RFP).
Proposed Expansion (March-May 2026)
- Drones as first responders and for aerial mass surveillance
- Pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras for surveilling pedestrians
- Integration of private surveillance cameras from local businesses into a Flock-managed, AI-powered platform called Flock Nova
- Flock Nova would also centralize evidence and records data from the Berkeley Police Department along with all ALPR and PTZ images
Where we are now: Request for Proposals
The RFP solicits vendors that can provide the surveillance technologies listed in the adjacent box. Notably, these technologies (which are described in much more detail in the RFP text), are exactly the same technologies listed above, which the City sought in the original expansion with Flock.
The deadline for proposals for the RFP was August 20, and the City allegedly has proposals from 16 vendors. The selection process ends on September 30.
Request for Proposals
- Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR)
- Fixed Video Surveillance Cameras (Pan-Tilt-Zoom)
- Drone as First Responder (DFR)
- Field-Deployed Drones (Unmanned Aerial Systems)
- Community Video Stream Integration
- Investigative Software
City Council is scheduled to award a contract for this expansion of mass surveillance on November 17. This date is after elections, but before the newly elected councilmembers take office. That means a lame duck session of City Council will decide a $2 million expansion of mass surveillance in Berkeley.
It’s up to us to use our voices and pressure City Council to delay this critical vote until the new Council is seated, and to oppose any expansion of surveillance in Berkeley.