Yakima Police: No Plans to Turn Off Flock Cameras

Yakima has no plan to turn off Flock cameras or license plate readers located within the city says Yakima Police Chief Shawn Boyle. He calls the 87 cameras located in unannounced locations vital tools in crime fighting.

SOME CAMERAS ARE GOING DARK

It's a different story in other areas of the state. Olympia is the latest city in the state to turn off the cameras after the interim Police Chief says she's concerned about alledged misuse of the information. Redmond turned off cameras last month and Auburn has also stopped the cameras from recording.

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STATE LAWMAKERS ARE PLANNING ACTION

Washington lawmakers are also taking action moving to regulate license plate readers after reports that federal immigration authorities have been allegedly accessing local police databases.

SOME IN YAKIMA WANT THE CAMERAS TURNED OFF

Last month the Yakima City Council was presented with the current results of an online petition signed by more than 500 people asking the Yakima Police Department to temporarily turn off the Flock camera license plate readers until the city can "safeguard" the city against the misuse of the devices. But city officials say the cameras will remain in use. The cameras are mounted on poles and patrol cars, snap photos of vehicles and store the data, which can be used for investigations. They're in use in many cities in the Yakima Valley.

LEGISLATION COULD HELP CITIES

Proposed legislation would limit how long police can keep the data-Senator Yasmin Trudeau’s draft sets a 72-hour retention period, with exceptions for violent crime investigations. Civil liberties groups say the rules are needed to prevent misuse, while some cities worry three days may be too short for certain investigations.

THE YAKIMA CHIEF SAYS WITH BUDGET CUTS THE CAMERAS ARE NOW VITAL

Yakima Police say the cameras are a vital tool in helping to solve local crime.
The first 22 cameras were put into operation in the city in 2022. Today a total of 87 FLOCK cameras are located in unannounced locations around the city of Yakima.
But police have access to 70 flock networks or 1,300 cameras around the country. 21 networks in the state of Washington giving police access to 236 cameras that can be used in criminal or other cases.