The Fresno Police Department will host a community forum Monday, July 20 2026, at 6 p.m. at the Ted C. Wills Community Center to answer questions about Flock cameras. (GV Wire Composite)
- A community forum about the use of Flock cameras in Fresno will be held Monday at 6 p.m. at the Ted C. Will Community Center.
- Police Chief Mindy Casto has said that the cameras have contributed to a cut in local crime and helped solve homicides.
- Reports around the U.S.. detail intentional and unintentional data releases involving automated license plate readers.
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Before the Fresno City Council decides later this year whether to continue using Flock cameras, the Fresno Police Department will host a community forum to hear what residents think about the controversial technology.
On Monday night at the Ted C. Wills Community Center — between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. — police leadership will field questions about the use and limitations of the surveillance equipment.
On Thursday, Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto said that the cameras have contributed evidence to 71% of solved murders and 39% of solved shootings. She also credited the cameras with having a role in the city’s crime reduction.
She said she wanted to host the forum following public outcry about the security of the information stored by the ubiquitous cameras.
“This is a very valuable tool and I think the numbers and the facts are out there to show that it does help and, again, it’s for the community to decide,” Casto said at a news conference. “We want the feedback. I don’t want a decision … to be made on misinformation or emotion. We should look at what do we want in this community.”
Casto Wants Your Questions About Flock
Fresno first began using Flock cameras in 2023, under a three-year, $1.5 million contract. Now, police have 70 cameras deployed in high crime areas throughout the city.
“We took an overlayment of years of shooting data and stolen vehicle data and that’s how we placed them largely around the city,” Casto said.
She said the city keeps Flock data protected, erasing data after 30 days and tracking everyone who accesses the system. State law forbids intelligence sharing with federal authorities for the purposes of immigration enforcement.
Media reports and lawsuits, however, detail illegal data sharing between the tech giant Flock, city police departments, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
A CalMatters investigation found the Los Angeles Police Department and San Diego, Orange, and Riverside counties have shared data from automated license plate readers to federal agencies.
In October 2025, the state of California sued the city of El Cajon, alleging it was misusing data gathered from the automated plate readers.
Casto, said they have not shared any data with federal agencies about immigration enforcement. She welcomes questions from the public at the Monday meeting.
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