Yakima Council Votes Down Camera Ban But Tightens Surveillance Rules

Republican mayor of Yakima Matt Brown sparked controversy after proposing to ban Flock cameras in Yakima in a heated debate, stating he was listening to and representing the people of Yakima.

Rows of wooden chairs with cane backs and leather desks in a legislative chamber

Driver Privacy Act

Mayor Brown’s opposition came from a distrust of the “surveillance state” and specifically related to a loophole in Flock camera privacy laws. In March 2026, Washington passed the Driver Privacy Act, which regulates standard AI license plate readers, including Flock cameras, to make sure data is deleted after 21 days and that there are restrictions on camera placement near schools and churches.

However, soon after, Yakima began installing new live-streaming Flock cameras within the city limits. Unlike the earlier cameras, these did not only take a still snapshot of a license plate but had a continuous live feed. These new Flock cameras are not covered under the Driver Privacy Act, leading to many privacy concerns.

Debate

Matt Brown’s proposal triggered an intense and heated debate at last night’s city council meeting. Police Chief Shawn Boyle strongly stood against camera removal, warning about a potential spike in crime. Community groups such as Yakima Community Aid spoke to support the mayor’s proposal.

Mayor Brown’s motion was ultimately shot down 5-2. However, the council made a compromise which requires city staff to create a mandatory local ordinance over how the Flock cameras are to be operated, bans cameras from sensitive areas, enforces deletion of live feed data after 21 days, requested that the entire Yakima County adopt the same rules, approved $250,000 in funding for cameras, but vowed to re-evaluate in 2027.

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