San Francisco’s police department has revealed that federal and out-of-state agencies improperly accessed the city’s license-plate surveillance data. The data was gathered through the police department’s Flock system of surveillance cameras. According to Police Chief Derrick Lew, the leak is a concern for the department, as the Flock cameras have also raised privacy concerns.

Background on the Flock System

The San Francisco Police Department has been using Flock surveillance cameras to capture license plates on city streets since 2024. The data is used to track and locate cars in criminal investigations. However, California law prohibits law enforcement agencies from sharing license plate data with out-of-state entities.

The police department discovered 299 illegal inquiries of its Flock camera network over the course of a year. The agencies that accessed the data included the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Internal Revenue Service. The data was accessed through the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, which is one of 80 nationwide fusion centers that help with the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of data between local, state, federal agencies, and their private-sector partners.

Investigation and Response

The leak is being investigated by the city’s Human Rights Commission and the Department of Police Accountability. Upon learning about the breach, Chief Lew immediately turned off access to the surveillance system from the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center and initiated an internal review.

Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.