Flock surveillance cameras vandalized in Oakland
- Oakland police are investigating after multiple Flock Safety license-plate reader cameras across Oakland were splashed with paint, obscuring devices city leaders renewed in December. - The vandalism hit cameras on poles in neighborhoods including Fruitvale, after Oakland approved a two-year, $2.25 million contract to keep 291 cameras running. - The damage lands after fights over federal access to camera data and Oakland’s 2025 expansion vote. (kqed.org)
Oakland police are investigating after multiple Flock Safety license-plate reader cameras were vandalized with paint, blinding some of the devices mounted on city poles. (nbcbayarea.com) (oaklandside.org) NBC Bay Area reported the damage on April 28, and Oakland police said they were aware of the vandalism and investigating who was responsible. Flock Safety said damaged cameras “directly impact public safety.” (nbcbayarea.com) Oaklandside reported one paint-splattered camera on Fruitvale Avenue and said similar incidents have appeared around Oakland in recent weeks. The outlet described purple paint covering a camera and its solar panel. (oaklandside.org) The cameras automatically scan passing license plates and let police search for vehicles linked to crimes. Oakland police data cited by ABC7 said the system read 189 million plates from July through December 2024. (abc7news.com) Oakland’s camera fight did not start with the vandalism. In December 2025, the City Council voted 7-1 for a new two-year, $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety. (kqed.org) (nbcbayarea.com) That deal let the Oakland Police Department keep its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new pan-tilt-zoom cameras for high-traffic corridors and illegal dumping sites. The prior authorization was set to expire on January 1, 2026. (kqed.org) Supporters said the cameras help an understaffed police department find stolen cars and suspects faster. Opponents said the same network could expose immigrants, abortion seekers, and protesters to federal tracking. (nbcbayarea.com) (abc7news.com) The privacy fears sharpened after reports in 2025 that Oakland police data had been accessed on behalf of federal agencies through shared license-plate reader systems. KQED said those reports became a central issue in the December council debate. (oaklandside.org) (kqed.org) Flock has said California law bars local agencies from sharing this data with federal immigration authorities and said Oakland police control who can access footage. Critics have argued those safeguards have not held up in practice. (abc7news.com) (oaklandside.org) For now, the immediate question is simpler: how many Oakland cameras were disabled by paint, and how quickly the city or Flock can get them working again. Police have not publicly identified suspects. (nbcbayarea.com) (oaklandside.org)
