San Leandro Launches Flock Camera Transparency Portal

New portal reveals data-sharing practices, retention limits, and privacy safeguards for controversial license plate readers.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 5:07am

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An abstract, impressionistic photograph of blurred, colorful shapes and light, conceptually representing the opaque and impersonal nature of automated surveillance technology.San Leandro's new transparency portal aims to shed light on the city's use of controversial license plate reader cameras.San Leandro Today

San Leandro has launched a new police transparency portal similar to one recently unveiled in Antioch, providing residents with detailed information about the city's use of Flock license plate reader cameras. The portal aims to address growing debates and lawsuits over how these automated cameras are used and audited across the Bay Area.

Why it matters

The use of automated license plate readers by law enforcement has become a contentious issue, with concerns over privacy, data retention, and potential misuse. San Leandro's new transparency portal is an effort to address these concerns and provide the public with a clearer understanding of how the technology is being deployed in their community.

The details

The San Leandro Flock camera transparency portal includes details on the department's data-sharing practices, retention limits, and privacy safeguards. This comes as other Bay Area cities like Antioch have also launched similar portals in response to growing debates and lawsuits over the use of these automated license plate readers.

  • San Leandro launched the new Flock camera transparency portal in April 2026.
  • Antioch recently unveiled a similar portal for its own use of Flock license plate readers.

The players

San Leandro Police Department

The local law enforcement agency that operates the Flock license plate reader cameras in San Leandro.

Antioch Police Department

The law enforcement agency in the neighboring city of Antioch that has also launched a transparency portal for its use of Flock cameras.

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The takeaway

San Leandro's new Flock camera transparency portal represents an effort by the city to address growing public concerns over the use of automated license plate readers and provide residents with more information about how this technology is being deployed in their community.