Santa Ana weighs options to end or suspend license plate reader contracts

Santa Ana City Council members are expected Tuesday to consider seeking options to end or suspend two automated license plate reader contracts amid concerns about surveillance and federal agencies’ access to camera data, according to Voice of OC. The contracts with Motorola and Flock carry a combined potential cost of more than $700,000.

The discussion would put Santa Ana alongside other Orange County cities reconsidering how police use vehicle-location data. Fullerton temporarily shut off its Flock cameras earlier this month, while Costa Mesa opted to retain the technology and seek changes to data practices.

The council’s meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Members are expected to discuss directing the city manager to return with contract exit or suspension options, along with seeking an effectiveness update and an account of outside agencies’ access to the system, Voice of OC reported. The proposed direction would seek options rather than immediately shut off the cameras.

Councilwoman Jessie Lopez requested the discussion after The Inadvertent reported, based on public records, that a Northern California fusion center accessed Santa Ana’s system on behalf of federal agencies. According to Voice of OC, residents and activists have raised concerns about police misuse, data leaks and federal data sharing amid heightened immigration enforcement.

Neither agreement permits termination at will, and their exit provisions involve different costs and timelines, according to Lopez’s request as described by Voice of OC. The Flock contract renews automatically for 24 months unless notice is provided.

When the council approved the contracts in May 2025, it directed staff to report on effectiveness and usage after one year. That report had not reached the council as of publication, according to Voice of OC. Councilman David Penaloza previously said installation did not occur until around September 2025 and disputed that the report was months overdue.

Flock’s transparency page showed more than 1.2 million unique vehicles detected in Santa Ana and 375 searches over the past month, according to Voice of OC. Police officials and some elected leaders say the readers help solve crimes.

Fullerton became the first Orange County city to turn off its Flock cameras when it began a six-month shutdown earlier in October, Voice of OC reported. Costa Mesa decided over the summer to keep its contract and pursue changes to data access and collection after a police officer used the devices to stalk women and romantic rivals.

Lopez’s request also seeks an accounting of who accessed Santa Ana’s data and whether that access complied with state law. Those questions remain part of the council’s proposed review, alongside the costs and timing of any contract exit.