44th LD Democrats, Call for Removal of Flock Surveillance Cameras Across Washington
Privacy experts and civil liberties groups have also warned that when detailed location data is collected and stored by private vendors, it can be repurposed, shared, or compelled into the hands of third parties, from data brokers to out-of-state law enforcement agencies, especially in the absence of strong, enforceable limits.
Even when companies say they will not “sell” public safety data, their own terms and policies acknowledge that they may disclose information to third parties, including government agencies and other entities, under a variety of circumstances.
Washington Court Says Flock Data Is Public Records
The 44th LD Democrats also highlight a recent Washington state court ruling that Flock data is subject to the Public Records Act. In early November, a Skagit County judge ordered cities using Flock cameras to release ALPR data, rejecting arguments that vendor-hosted data should be exempt from disclosure.
That decision means that, in Washington, anyone can request and obtain detailed logs and images showing when and where vehicles passed Flock cameras, which could allow private individuals to track people’s movements in bulk.
“If anyone with a public records request can get Flock logs that show where your car was over weeks or months, it becomes even clearer that these systems are not compatible with basic expectations of privacy or safety,” Martez said.
What the Resolution Calls For
Resolution 2025-04 calls on local governments in and around the 44th Legislative District to:
Remove existing Flock cameras and terminate contracts with Flock Safety and similar vendors.
At a minimum, immediately disable nationwide and cross-jurisdictional lookups, prohibit civil immigration use, adopt strict short data retention limits, and publish contracts, policies, and audit logs for public review.
Refrain from entering new contracts that outsource plate surveillance to private vendors.
The resolution also urges:
Snohomish County Prosecutor Jason Cummings and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown to investigate potential violations of the Keep Washington Working Act and other state laws related to ALPR data use and sharing.
Senator John Lovick, Representative April Berg, and Representative Brandy Donaghy to introduce legislation that limits or bans vendor-operated ALPR networks statewide, prohibits civil immigration use, mandates full transparency and regular audits, and strictly limits data retention and sharing.
The Washington State Democratic Party to adopt a similar statewide position.
“Our members want real public safety, not permanent tracking,” Martez said. “We are asking local agencies and state leaders to choose constitutional policing, community trust, and immigrant safety over a private mass surveillance network.”
The 44th LD Democrats will transmit the resolution and this statement to local city councils, Snohomish County officials, state legislators representing the 44th District, the Washington State Attorney General, and the Washington State Democratic Party, and will publish the resolution on the organization’s website and social media channels so that community members can read it in full.
About the 44th Legislative District Democrats
The 44th Legislative District Democrats are the official Democratic Party organization representing Democrats in Washington’s 44th Legislative District, including communities in Snohomish County such as Lake Stevens, Mill Creek, Snohomish, and parts of Everett and Marysville. The organization recruits and supports Democratic candidates, advances progressive policies, and works to build a more just, inclusive, and democratic community for all residents.
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Resolution 2025-04: Calling for removing of Flock Camera Surveillance from the 44th Legislative District and State of Washington
WHEREAS automated license plate reader systems sold by Flock Safety indiscriminately capture and retain scans of virtually every vehicle that passes a camera, enabling real time tracking and retrospective reconstruction of people’s movements and associations over extended periods, which erodes the reasonable expectation of privacy in one’s public travel; and because the system operates on public roads there is no way for residents to opt out of being scanned by their government when they leave their homes; and
WHEREAS on multiple occasions, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol have accessed or searched the Flock camera network in Snohomish County, including jurisdictions within the 44th Legislative District, to monitor people’s driving patterns and daily habits; such use creates serious risks for undocumented residents and immigrant families, and directly violates the law and intent of Washington’s Keep Washington Working Act (RCW 10.93.160), which prohibits local resources from being used for civil immigration enforcement; and because ICE continues to receive data from numerous local and national law-enforcement sources, every Flock camera left in place further expands their surveillance reach; something our state has committed to stop; and
WHEREAS some jurisdictions deploying Flock cameras have lacked sufficient transparency regarding data retention, sharing, and public-records access. Record-requests for Flock data have triggered litigation over whether ALPR logs qualify as public records, undermining public oversight and accountability; and not allowing the public to review Flock data and audit logs constitutes a clear violation of Washington’s Public Records Act (RCW 42.56), which guarantees the people’s right to inspect government records; without this transparency there is no meaningful oversight of how local governments collect and use surveillance data; and
WHEREAS within or overlapping the 44th Legislative District in Snohomish County, the jurisdictions of Everett, Marysville, Monroe, Snohomish, Lake Stevens, Mill Creek, and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office have installed and operated Flock camera systems. Yet despite growing public concern and clear evidence of violations of the Keep Washington Working Act, these jurisdictions have failed to take corrective action by removing the cameras or ensuring compliance with state law, thereby allowing continued access and use of this surveillance data in ways that endanger residents’ privacy and safety; and
WHEREAS the moral and ethical concerns are compelling: deploying ubiquitous tracking technologies in publicly accessible spaces shifts the burden of proof onto all citizens, chills free movement and association including participation in protected activities, and creates an infrastructure that may disproportionately impact immigrant communities, communities of color, and people exercising dissent. Such systems transform public streets into perpetual surveillance zones and conflict with the values of individual dignity, privacy, and equitable justice.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the 44th Legislative District Democrats call on all jurisdictions within or overlapping the 44th that are using or deploying Flock cameras, including the City of Everett, City of Marysville, City of Monroe, City of Snohomish, City of Lake Stevens, City of Mill Creek, and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, to remove the cameras and terminate related contracts; and at a bare minimum while removals proceed, immediately disable cross-jurisdictional or nationwide lookup features, prohibit any immigration-related use, publish contracts and clear retention limits of thirty days or less with automatic deletion of non-hit data, restrict sharing, and release regular public audit logs of access and queries.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all other cities within the 44th Legislative District, and all jurisdictions within the State of Washington, that are currently using or considering the use of vendor-operated automated license plate reader systems, such as those provided by Flock Safety, shall remove existing systems and refrain from adopting new ones; and that any future consideration of ALPR technology must include a robust public process, strict legal guardrails consistent with the Keep Washington Working Act, narrow retention limits, independent oversight, and enforceable audits to ensure transparency and protection of civil liberties; and
THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the 44th Legislative District Democrats call upon the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office and Snohomish County Prosecutor Jason Cummings, along with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and Attorney General Nick Brown, to investigate and enforce violations of the Keep Washington Working Act related to the access or use of automated license plate reader data for civil immigration enforcement; and call upon Senator John Lovick, Representative April Berg, and Representative Brandy Donaghy to introduce and pass legislation to limit or ban vendor-operated automated license plate reader networks statewide, prohibit any civil-immigration use, mandate full transparency and regular audits, and strictly limit data retention and sharing; and that, upon adoption, this resolution be transmitted to all local cities and elected representatives of local cities within the 44th Legislative District, all state legislators representing the 44th Legislative District, the Washington State Attorney General and Attorney General Nick Brown, the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office and Prosecutor Jason Cummings, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Susanna Johnson, and—immediately following passage by the General Body—to the Snohomish County Democrats and Washington State Democratic Party for statewide consideration.
Amended and moved to the DEI Committee and general body by the 44th Legislative District Legislative Committee - 10/26/2025 by Committee Chair Martez
Reviewed by the DEI committee - 10/29/2025
Adopted by the voting body of the 44th LD Democrats - 11/13/2025 by Acting Chair Moralez