Atwater Police | Flock license plate readers
Atwater approved eight Flock cameras for two intersections in November 2023 under a purchase order not to exceed $50,000. The reviewed record gives conflicting retention proposals.
How it happened
- Procurement
Council approves eight Flock cameras
The Council approves a purchase order not to exceed $50,000 on the consent calendar. The minutes record no public comment and a 4-0 vote with one member absent. [1] [2]
- Deployment
Department identifies installation as a 2024 goal
The 2023 annual report lists completion of the two-intersection installation as a 2024 goal. [3]
What the Council approved
On November 13, 2023, the Atwater City Council approved a purchase order for Flock Safety not to exceed $50,000. The attached 24-month quote totals $49,200 and lists eight cameras for Bellevue Road at Shaffer Road and Shaffer Road at Atwater Boulevard.[1]
The item stayed on the consent calendar. The minutes record no public comment and a 4-0 vote with one member absent.[2] The department’s 2023 annual report lists completing the two-intersection installation as a goal for 2024.[3]
The unresolved retention setting
The vendor quote states a 30-day retention period. The staff narrative in the same packet recommends 120 days. The Council action approves the purchase order but does not separately state which retention setting it adopted.[1][2]
The reviewed records also do not provide a current camera-status list, sharing list, audit report, or aggregate search history.
Questions
- How many Flock cameras did Atwater approve?
- The quote lists eight cameras at two intersections. [1]
- How much did the agreement cost?
- The Council authorized a purchase order not to exceed $50,000. The attached quote totals $49,200. [1] [2]
- How long is plate data kept?
- The quote states 30 days, while the staff narrative recommends 120 days. The minutes do not identify the final configured period. [1] [2]
- Did anyone speak on the item?
- The minutes record no public comment. The consent item passed 4-0 with one member absent. [2]
What we do not know
- Is current retention configured for 30 days, 120 days, or another period?
- What is the current sharing list, and which agencies have run searches?
- Are all eight cameras installed and operational at the two named intersections?
- What do current audits, access logs, hotlist rules, and renewal records show?
What you can do
Show up
Systems like this one are approved by boards, councils and committees that meet in public. We have not yet confirmed where each of them meets in Merced County.
What we have documented in Merced County →Protect yourself
Practical steps to shrink your personal data trail. Our guides publish at launch; until then, EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense is the best starting point.
Surveillance Self-Defense →Sources
- 1. Atwater City Council packet, November 13, 2023, Flock purchase · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 2. Atwater City Council minutes, November 13, 2023 · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 3. Atwater Police Department 2023 annual report · Primary document · accessed · archived copy · our copy (581 KB)
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