A debate is intensifying in Oakland over the use of Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera network. Proponents, including a local business coalition, argue the 480-camera system is essential for police to track vehicles linked to crimes and ensure public safety. They point to the system’s ability to identify vehicles by more than just license plates in real time. However, privacy advocates, the ACLU, and concerned residents raise significant objections. They fear the massive surveillance network–which read 189 million plates in six months–could be used by federal agencies like ICE for deportations, undermining Oakland’s sanctuary city status. Flock Safety counters that California’s SB 34 prohibits such data sharing and that the Oakland Police Department owns and controls its own data, with no current collaboration with federal immigration authorities through the system.