RE:SanFranciscopolicecutoffFlockaccessafterimpropersearchesforfederal,out-of-stateagencies

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6/18/202610:45:55AM
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WendyStrattonMonahan<WMonahan@ci.benicia.ca.us>
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RE:SanFranciscopolicecutoffFlockaccessafterimpropersearchesforfederal,out-of-stateagencies
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Hereisthetextofthearticle:
SanFranciscopolicecutoffFlockaccessafterimpropersearchesforfederal,out-of-stateagencies
ByAidinVaziri,MichaelBarba,StaffWritersUpdatedJune18,20269:11a.m.
SanFranciscopolicesaidWednesdaythattheirlicenseplatereaderdatawasimproperlysearchednearly300timesonbehalfoffederalandout-of-statelaw
enforcementagencies,adisclosurelikelytorenewscrutinyofasurveillancetoolthathasexpandedrapidlyacrossCaliforniaandthenation.
EverydayinSanFranciscoand acrosstheBayArea,thousandsof cameras—manyoperatedbyAtlanta-basedFlockSafety—capturelicenseplates.Police
bytheNorthernCaliforniaRegionalIntelligenceCenter,ananti-crimefusioncenterthatactsasaninformation-sharinghubforlawenforcement.
SFPDsaidthesearcheswereconductedthroughNCRICbyanotherentity,theWesternStatesInformationNetwork,onbehalfofout-of-stateandfederal
agenciesthatwerenotallowedtoaccessitsdataunderCalifornialaw.
Thesearcheswererelatedtocriminalinvestigationsinvolvingcrimesincludingmurder,childsexualabuse,andgunanddrug trafficking,SFPDsaid.Agencies
SanFranciscopolicecalled thedisclosurea“statewideissue,”butdidnotdisclosehowmanyof theotheragencieswhosedatawas accessed areinCalifornia.
agenciesincludingtheDrugEnforcementAdministration,theIRS,theBureauofAlcohol,Tobacco,FirearmsandExplosives,andstateagenciesinOregonand
Washington.
LewsaidhisdepartmentcutoffNCRiC'saccesstothecity'sFlockdata afterdiscovering theissue.However,thecityhasnotdisabled itsFlockcameras.
Theauditfound 299improperinquiriesoveraboutoneyear,accountingfor0.005%of allinquiries during thatperiod,accordingtoSFPD.LewsaidSanFrancisco
doesnotknowhowmanymatches,ifany,weremadebytheoutsideagenciesastheysearchedforlicenseplatesacrosshundredsof jurisdictions.
Thedepartmentsaidtheauditdidnotfindanyinquiriesreferencingfederalimmigrationenforcementorreproductiverightsinvestigations,andthatthefederal
agenciesidentifieddidnotincludeU.S.ImmigrationandCustomsEnforcementortheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity.
Policesaidnofederalorout-of-stateagencieshaddirectaccesstoSFPD'sFlocksystem.
FlockSafety,thecompanythatoperatestheplatform,alsosaidthesearcheswerenotcausedbyasoftwaremalfunction,unauthorizedaccessorafailureof its
system.
Instead,thedepartmentsaidNCRIChadaccessunderanarrangementallowedbystatelaw,andthatNCRICgrantednight-houraccesstoWSINanalysts.
BasedonNCRIC'sinvestigation,SFPDsaidWSINanalystsconductedtheimpropersearchesattherequestofotheragencies.
WSINtoldNCRICthat theanalystswereunawareCalifornialawprohibitedsharing license-platedata withfederaland out-of-statelawenforcement agencies,
accordingtoSFPD.
"There's a differencebetweenaqueryand ahit,"Lewtold commissioners.“Sowe don't know,of those queries,what actually generated areal hit.So,therefore,
wedon'tknowwhatwasactuallydisseminated."
MikeSena,theexecutive directorofNCRIC,saidSFPDnotifiedhimabout theissueMay 12.HesaidWSINhad analystslog the“exactreason”foreverysearch.
"Notoneofthemwasimmigrationenforcement-related,"SenatoldtheChronicle.
Hesaid thestatelawbanningout-of-state andfederal sharinghas created“gaps"inlawenforcement's abilitytoinvestigatecrimesthatcrossstate lines and in
federal investigationsintoseriouscrimesinvolvingsuspectsinCalifornia.
ButhesaidheunderstoodwhyLewdisabledNCRiC'saccesstoitsFlockdata.
"It'sabig deal tomebecauseweneed tomakesurepeople arein compliance,"Sena said.
SenawasunsurewhetheralloftheotheragencieswhosedatawasaccessedwerelocatedinCalifornia,buthesaidtheyprobablywere.
combatretail andvehicletheftandothercrimes.
SFPDsaidWednesdaythat thetechnologyhashelpedofficerssolvecrimesandnarrowinvestigations.Butthedepartment also acknowledgedprivacyconcerns
andsaiditwouldcontinuereviewingaccesstothesystem.
"We understand thepowerof these tools and that thepublichasinterest inprivacy,"SFPDspokespersonEvanSernoffskytold theChronicle.
thedisclosure.
"Today'srevelation that SFPDhas againviolated(state law)and generalprivacybest practicesfurther demonstrates that they donot take such things seriously,"
Hofer said.
HofersaidthefailurecameeventhoughotheragencieshavehadtheirdataimproperlyaccessedthroughNCRiCbefore.
TheSFPDdisclosurecomes ascivil libertiesgroupsand news organizationshaveraisedconcerns aboutCaliforniapoliceagencies allowingfederal orout-of-
information aboutwherepeopletravel,includingpeoplewhoarenotsuspectedof crimes.
SFPDsaiditwasthefirstandonlyagencytodiscovertheproblem.Thedepartmentsaidaregionalcallwillbeheldwithotheragencieswhosedatamayhave
"Any timeprotocols and laws arenot strictlyadhered tobyagencies we share data with,"thepolice force said in a statement.“SFPDwilltake immediate actionto
ensurepublictrust."
June17,2026|UpdatedJune 18,20269:11a.m.
WendyStrattonMonahan
SeniorManagementAnalyst/PDPI
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PoliceDepartment
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WMonahan@ci.benicia.ca.us
www.ci.benicia.ca.us/police
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From:MarkMenesini<MMenesini@ci.benicia.ca.us>
Sent:Thursday,June 18,2026 10:43AM
To:WendyStrattonMonahan<WMonahan@ci.benicia.ca.us>
Subject:FW:SanFranciscopolicecutoffFlockaccessafterimpropersearchesforfederal,out-of-stateagencies
MarkMenesini
Police Chief
Police Departmen
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MMenesini@ci.benicia.ca.us
www.ci.benicia.ca.us/police
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From:StephenYoung
Sent:Thursday,June18,202610:39AM
To:EdwardCriado<ECriado@ci.benicia.ca.us>
Cc:MarkMenesini<MMenesini@ci.benicia.ca.us>;MarioGiuliani<MGiuliani@ci.benicia.ca.us>
Subject:SanFranciscopolicecutoffFlockaccessafterimpropersearchesforfederal,out-of-stateagencies
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https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/sfpd-flock-license-plate-reader-data-searches-22310416.php
CanyouconfirmwhetherornotflockaccessismadeavailabletoNCRICandWSINreferencedinthearticle?
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