WHAT'S HAPPENING // LOCATIONS
WHERE + WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Community-reported ALPR camera locations. If you spot one that's missing, add it to the map.
Flock cameras often have: Black housing · Teardrop shape · Usually with solar panels
Live, work or shop in Auburn?
Placer County's automated license plate reader cameras – known as ALPRs – are logging every car that passes: against California law ❌ Civil Code § 1798.90.55(b) (part of SB 34, 2015) states that a public agency shall not sell, share, or transfer ALPR information, except to another public agency, and only as otherwise permitted by law. Under California law, a "public agency" is explicitly defined as an in-state, non-federal agency. , without a warrant, with no public oversight, and at your own expense. Explore the data and stand with your neighbors to take action.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
SOURCES: CPRA-OBTAINED AUDIT LOG FILES · Auburn Police Department and Placer County Sheriff's Office, 2022-2026 · Note- We are still awaiting several missing months; final numbers subject to change (we expect numbers to increase)
WHAT'S HAPPENING // LOCATIONS
Community-reported ALPR camera locations. If you spot one that's missing, add it to the map.
Flock cameras often have: Black housing · Teardrop shape · Usually with solar panels
WHY IT MATTERS
THE DATA // FIRST-PASS AUDIT
SOURCES: CIV. CODE § 1798.90.55(b) (SB 34, 2016) · CAL. AG BULLETIN 2023-DLE-06 · CAL. AG v. EL CAJON (2025)
WHAT'S HAPPENING // LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
How many searches lack a substantive reason?
*We made an additional request that PCSO supply the "reason" fields, but they refused.
All of Placer Country Sheriff Office's ~8.6M searches have the reason hidden, and ~1.4M (about 12.5%) of Auburn PD's are either blank or use non-substantive strings such as "Inv" or "n/a."You can't claim to be accountable if the one field that proves accountability, is the one field you won't hand over.
THE DATA // FEDERAL + OUT-OF-STATE ACCESS
During the April 27, 2026 City Council session, the Auburn Police Chief said "The only information we share from the license plates we read are with California agencies only." That was a lie. Over 4 Million searches were conducted by 4,406 non-California or federal entities, despite it being prohibited. Here are the top-accessing agencies and their # of searches:
|
Houston TX PD
849,831
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Dallas TX PD
101,330
|
Cobb County GA SO
34,656
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New York State Police
33,414
|
|
Fort Worth TX PD
32,202
|
Fairfax County VA PD
28,238
|
Oklahoma City OK PD
26,841
|
Illinois State Police
26,570
|
|
NCRIC ( a Federal Fusion Center)
535,727
|
|||
SOURCES: CPRA-OBTAINED AUDIT LOG FILES · CAL. CIVIL CODE § 1798.90.55(b) PROHIBITS SHARING WITH NON-CALIFORNIA ENTITIES
LEARN
Flock is a private surveillance company that builds automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras used by police departments, HOAs, and private businesses. Each camera photographs plate, make, model, and color, and timestamps the location.
Learn how to file a California Public Records Act request to obtain audit logs, vendor contracts, and retention policies — use our template to request the same records we did.
TAKE ACTION
A substantial wave of cities and towns have ended or declined to renew their Flock Safety contracts. Auburn's residents deserve the same choice, made in the open.
Every 'reason' column was removed from the PCSO public records, while out-of-state and federal agencies have queried Auburn's camera data. Residents can't audit what they can't see.
If the public is to be subject to any new or expanded surveillance technology, now or in the future, they deserve to know the details and implications- and to have a say in the matter.
TAKE ACTION // PUBLIC COMMENT
My name is [your name]. I'm a resident of Auburn and I've lived here for [number] years. Auburn's own Flock audit logs show over 11 million external searches of our camera network —including federal agencies like the FBI and ATF, and thousands of out-of-state agencies that California law doesn't allow this data to go to. I'm asking the Council to end the Flock contract and remove the cameras, release the full unredacted audit logs, and commit to no new surveillance technology without a public vote. I understand by making a public comment, that my name and email may be disclosed.
Thank you for your time.
My name is [your name]. I'm a resident of Auburn and I've lived here for [number] years. [Placeholder — one or two sentences on why this matters to you personally.] We requested Auburn and Placer County's Flock audit logs through a public records request. What we found: over 11 million external searches of Auburn's cameras, at least 15 federal entities — including the FBI and ATF — accessing our data, and thousands of out-of-state agencies with no legal right to it under California Civil Code § 1798.90.55(b). Meanwhile, Placer County stripped the "reason" field from its own records and told us we'd need a court order to see it. I'm asking the Council to do three things: end the Flock contract and remove the cameras, publicly explain the stripped records and this out-of-state access, and commit to no new surveillance technology without transparency and public input. I understand by making a public comment, that my name and email may be disclosed.
Thank you for your time.
My name is [your name]. I'm a resident of Auburn and I've lived here for [number] years. [Placeholder — two or three sentences on your personal connection to this issue.] [Placeholder — a sentence naming a specific concern: cost, data-sharing, or lack of oversight.] We requested the actual Flock audit logs for Auburn and Placer County through the California Public Records Act, and what we found should concern every resident here. Auburn's cameras were externally searched over 11 million times. At least 15 federal entities had access — including the FBI, ATF, and even U.S. Border Patrol — several logged as "inactive" only after the fact, meaning nobody stopped this access until well after it happened. Thousands more searches came from out-of-state agencies in states with different laws than ours- all in apparent conflict with the California statute that's supposed to keep our license-plate data inside California. And when we asked Placer County Sheriff's Office why these searches happened, we found the "reason" field had been stripped entirely from the records — they told us we'd need a court order just to see why our own cameras were queried. A growing number of cities across the country have already ended their Flock contracts over exactly these concerns. I'm asking this Council to do three things tonight: first, end Auburn's Flock contract and remove the cameras; second, publicly explain the stripped records and the out-of-state and federal access we've documented; and third, commit that no new surveillance technology comes to this city without full transparency and a real public process. I understand by making a public comment, that my name and email may be disclosed.
Thank you for your time and for representing this community.
Auburn City Council meetings
are on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, at 6pm, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall1225 Lincoln Way Auburn, CA
Placer County
Board of Supervisor meetings
are on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, at 9am, in the Placer County Administrative Center175 Fulweiler Ave. in Auburn, CA
TAKE ACTION // UPCOMING MEETINGS
City Council and Board of Supervisors dates, kept up to date on a shared calendar. Subscribe to get reminders on your own phone or computer.
Good news update! Dozens of you showed up to the Aug 10 City Council meeting- because of the overwhelming impact of your statements and public comments the council agreed to hold a dedicated Town Hall in September, for everyone to weigh in on surveillance technology in Auburn. Stay tuned for dates and actions you can take!
TAKE ACTION // EMAIL
Speaking up in person is the most effective thing you can do, but sending a quick email helps too. Here's who to contact, and a pre-written email you can copy, paste, and personalize.
Subject: Public comment — ALPR camera program
To the Auburn City Council,
I'm writing as a resident to ask that you end Auburn's Flock Safety ALPR contract and
remove the cameras, publicly account for the surveillance-sharing practices documented
below, and commit
to no new surveillance technology without full public transparency.
[One or two sentences on why this matters to you personally.]
Through a California Public Records Act request, we obtained Auburn PD's and Placer
County Sheriff's Office's Flock Safety audit logs. The findings raise serious legal
and policy concerns:
Auburn's cameras were externally searched more than 11.5 million times, including
access from at least 15 federal entities -- among them the FBI, ATF (at two field
offices), and U.S. Border Patrol's Grand Forks Sector -- several logged as "inactive"
only after their access had already occurred. Thousands more searches came from
out-of-state agencies across nearly every U.S. state.
Under California Civil Code Section 1798.90.55(b) (enacted via SB 34, effective
January 1, 2016), a California public agency may not sell, share, or transfer ALPR
data except to another California public agency. Out-of-state and federal agencies
do not qualify. This is not a hypothetical concern: in October 2025, the California
Attorney General sued the City of El Cajon for the same underlying conduct.
Separately, when we requested the "reason" field documenting why each search was
conducted, Placer County Sheriff's Office refused to produce it, stating it would
require a court order -- despite Placer's own transparency portal stating that "all
system access requires a valid reason." Residents cannot audit a policy the agency
itself won't let them see enforced.
We are asking the Council to:
1. End Auburn's Flock Safety contract and remove the cameras, as a growing number of
cities nationwide have already done;
2. Publicly explain the stripped "reason" records and the extent of out-of-state
and federal access to Auburn's camera data; and
3. Commit that no new or expanded surveillance technology will be adopted without
full public disclosure and a real opportunity for community input.
Full findings and source documents are available at www.deflockauburnca.com .
Thank you for your consideration,
[Your name], [Your neighborhood]
TAKE ACTION // STAY IN THE LOOP
Get updates on key developments, meeting alerts, helpful resources, and actions you can take.
Camera locations spotted and reported by Auburn residents. Want to add one? Let us know or add it to the map.
Our iconic courthouse, surveilled by the Flock camera w/ solar panel, on the streetlight to the right.
Visible from the intersection, this camera is mounted on a pole and blocks the shopping center signage.
This one watches everyone who goes to the Lutheran church.