Vice Mayor Jess Rivas told a crowd gathered on the west steps of Pasadena City Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 19, that she opposes any license plate reader system operating in the city, the strongest signal yet from a council member that Pasadena's Flock Safety camera network may not survive its September contract renewal.

"It's unnecessary and it's creepy as hell," Rivas said.

Several dozen residents rallied at 5 p.m., the same hour the Public Safety Committee Rivas chairs was supposed to meet on the cameras, according to Pasadena Now. The city canceled that hearing on Aug. 12 for lack of a quorum. An earlier April 15 committee meeting on the topic was also canceled.

The rally, organized by Pasadena Privacy under the banner "DeFlock Pasadena," drew speakers from the NAACP and the ACLU of Southern California. The group is demanding the council disable all 61 fixed Flock cameras, cancel the contract, decline any replacement vendor and redirect the money to community programs.

Brandon D. Lamar, president of the Pasadena NAACP, told the crowd the cameras' usage falls hardest on Black and brown residents, who he said are stopped by police at disproportionate rates. Mohammad Tajsar, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California, said he opposes any automated license plate reader deployment in Pasadena or the surrounding region.

Rivas said a deployment that began narrowly around the Rose Bowl over terrorism concerns has grown citywide, with the police department pushing for more cameras. The department currently operates 61 fixed Flock units and has requested 11 more, according to a July 2026 review by Independent Police Auditor Teresa Magula.

Committee split on contract's future

The Public Safety Committee is divided. Minutes from its May 20 meeting show Rivas supporting termination without a replacement vendor, Councilmember Steve Madison supporting continued use with legal adjustments, Councilmember Tyron Hampton favoring a new vendor whose system would keep data under city control absent a warrant, and Councilmember Justin Jones raising concerns about data sharing with ICE and camera concentration in Council District 3.

In an Aug. 17 interview with the Pasadena Star-News, Rivas said she does not trust the federal government and would not feel comfortable pursuing the technology "for quite a long time." Hampton told the same outlet he believes the city should remove its Flock cameras and consider other systems that would better protect privacy.

Contract background

The council approved the original Flock contract on July 17, 2023, accepting a base bid of $326,350 from Flock Group Inc. for cameras at 17 intersections and authorizing two one-year extensions for a total not to exceed $631,350. Flock was the only bidder. The purchase drew $231,350 from the city's Asset Forfeiture Fund.

Flock says its cameras helped recover 30 percent of vehicles stolen in Pasadena last year, totaling about $700,000 in stolen property. Magula's review found the system complies with California law and department policy, with no evidence it was used for immigration enforcement.

The city issued a statement Aug. 19 saying it "can point to the use of this technology locally to solve a number of crimes" and encouraging critics to "continue to raise their voices."

The LAPD ended its own Flock agreement, and South Pasadena voted in March 2026 not to renew its 14-camera contract.

Pasadena Privacy's letter campaign had collected 2,828 letters as of Aug. 18, toward a goal of 3,200. The Public Safety Committee's next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 16.