The Sonoma City Council unanimously approved a three-year contract with Flock Safety on Monday, ensuring continued and possibly expanded use of the automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology through September 2028.

The decision extends the city’s partnership — which began in 2023 — with the Atlanta-based tech firm at an annual cost not to exceed $50,500. The move comes as North Bay communities increasingly grapple with the balance between enhanced public safety tools and the preservation of civil liberties and privacy.

At the March 30 meeting, Sonoma Police Chief Brandon Cutting presented how the police department uses the technology as a law enforcement tool. Sonoma currently has 16 Flock cameras within the city limits. Cutting characterized it as an essential investigative resource, emphasizing privacy safeguards, state law compliance and measurable results in solving crimes.

“The data is not stored beyond 30 days … it will delete from the server at that 24th hour on the 30th day,” he said, noting that users must be vetted and audited and that access can be “a click of a button,” to disable if needed.

Cutting said local and regional law enforcement agencies have credited Flock cameras with helping recover stolen vehicles, locate missing persons and provide leads in high-profile crimes. He explained how ALPR technology has been used to identify suspects involved in violent crimes in Sonoma, such as a “very significant home invasion, very violent attack on an older couple” in September 2025. He said the suspects stole the victims’ vehicle and police were able to identify them by tracking the vehicle as it traveled out of town.

“They were subsequently arrested later that very same evening,” Cutting said, emphasizing the technology’s efficiency.

Under the contract, the city maintains strict data governance policies — an effort to mitigate surveillance concerns raised by local and regional advocacy groups such as Wake Up Sonoma and the ACLU of Northern California.

The contract states that all captured footage is automatically deleted after 30 days unless it is flagged as evidence in an active investigation. The police department “must utilize the database for criminal investigations only,” it states, emphasizing the system is not intended for monitoring the everyday movements of residents. Under the Sheriff’s Office Police 430, officers must provide a documented criminal investigative reason for every search in the database. In compliance with California Senate Bill 34, the city expressly prohibits sharing ALPR data with out-of-state entities or federal agencies, including immigration enforcement.

While the contract focuses on existing infrastructure, the council discussed expanding the number of Flock cameras to secure the city’s perimeter, including on the outskirts of the city to better monitor routes into and out of Sonoma. Officials noted monitoring these ingress and egress points would strengthen deterrence and case clearance, as Cutting credited the existing system with a 100% solution rate in vehicle-involved cases when some vehicle information is known.

Sonoma’s decision reflects a broader trend across the North Bay. Santa Rosa currently operates 129 Flock units, while smaller jurisdictions like Healdsburg and Rohnert Park maintain 26 and 23 cameras, respectively. The city’s contract will automatically renew in 2028 unless the city provides a 30-day notice of non-renewal.

Councilmember Patricia Farrar-Rivas said the “safety factor of utilizing this technology outweighs whatever risks there are,” noting the public safety element is “very, very high, and this is a beneficial software for us to be using.”

Councilmember John Gurney noted the cost benefit, saying, “It’s more effective, perhaps, than hiring additional police officers, and much more affordable.” He added, “It’s an excellent technology … And I agree that if it should be abused, I would expect that we’ll be made aware of that and take appropriate action.”

The council opened up the Flock Safety discussion to the public, but no public comments were made.

Mayor Ron Wellander expressed appreciation for the transparency from the police department, including the testing, auditing and verifying of the system that the department has continued to conduct.

“I move forward with great confidence. And should there be a concern that happens, we’ll bring it back to the dais for instruction and discussion and take action if need be,” Wellander said.

In a separate but related item, the council unanimously approved a contract to install Verkada security cameras and upgrade access control for city facilities, including City Hall, the Carnegie Library, City Council Chambers/Sonoma Police Department, and the Public Works Corporation Yard.

Public Works Director Mike Berger presented the item, saying “The project … addresses the security concerns that we are tasked with trying to fix, which are our facilities currently have no cameras and traditional lock and key.”

The security upgrades, which will cost approximately $224,000, will be done by Portola Systems, using Verkada cameras and software. The project includes cameras, key-card access at selected doors and updated door hardware, procured via the state’s California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS) cooperative to reduce costs.

Berger outlined site plans, card access for staff areas and camera placements. He explained the exterior cameras will be discreetly placed in low-visibility areas to preserve the buildings’ aesthetics, while providing 360-degree exterior coverage.

Berger acknowledged the privacy aspect of “the fact that we’re putting cameras in and we’re taking video of people,” explaining that city staff and law enforcement are working together to develop a plan for addressing privacy concerns. “We take this very seriously,” he added, noting a policy is “in the works” and will be brought to the City Council for approval prior to turning the system on.

Vice Mayor Sandra Lowe stressed the need for security measures to protect staff, saying, “There are people out there that basically dehumanize people who are in (city official) positions, and they feel they have complete agency to say some of the most horrendous things and even threaten and so forth.”

“I really want the community to know that our staff is so important to me, because we are nothing without them. And everything that we can do to make sure they’re OK and safe, I am for that,” Lowe added.

Wellander expressed support for the project, noting “there’s ill will out there, and it could come,” and taking security measures will help staff prepare for and handle safety issues.

A period for public comment was offered, but no members of the public provided feedback on the security item.

In other business, the council officially approved an employment agreement appointing Cristine Alilovich as interim city manager. Alilovich’s first day is April 6 and she will have the same pay rate as the approved salary for the city manager position, $274,072.