RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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A camera controversy is brewing in Brentwood after the city mistakenly approved permits to install crime-fighting cameras in a local neighborhood.
The request for the license plate readers did not come from law enforcement, but rather a homeowners association. Now, residents are raising privacy concerns as the city works to revoke the permits and orders the camera company, Flock, to take them down.
NBC Bay Area’s Thom Jensen reported on the error, noting: “The city of Brentwood acknowledged the mistake in a recent city council meeting, saying it issued a permit believing the cameras were part of Brentwood Police Department’s program which controls 62 Flock License Plate Readers across the city – but these cameras are operated by the HOA only.”
Brandon B., who grew up in Brentwood’s Shadow Lakes golf community, said he noticed signs going up and cameras being installed across the neighborhood about six weeks ago.
“I personally don’t think they’re necessary,” he said.
While he believes the HOA sent out notices letting homeowners know about the Flock cameras, he thinks the board should have done more to inform people that the devices are actively tracking license plate numbers. What is especially troubling to him is that the HOA is collecting and viewing the information, not the police.
“The cops don’t even have access to them, and it was just a private company that the HOA board members strictly have access to,” he said.
Brentwood City Council members were also caught off guard when they learned who was operating the license plate readers during a meeting in late July. Last week, Allen Baquar, city engineer and director of the Engineering Department, told council members the city was actively working to revoke the permits after realizing the mistake.
“It was issued under the premise that it was under the city agreement,” Baquar said in a recent YouTube video released by the city. “The city does have an agreement with Flock. That staff thought that was part of it as well.”
Not everyone is opposed to the neighborhood crime cameras. Resident William Cheseny pointed out that some locals welcome the surveillance.
“They feel more protected, with the speeding that goes on – on Balfour – and I see it all the time,” Cheseny said.
However, Cheseny noted he originally thought the Brentwood Police Department was receiving the data, not the HOA.
“It doesn’t feel right. That’s for sure,” he said.
The city is now trying to determine if it mistakenly approved similar installation requests from other groups.
In a written statement Monday afternoon, Acting City Manager Terrance Davis confirmed that Flock will be required to remove all cameras that are placed within the “public right of way.”
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