Residents press council to adopt 'safe communities' resolutions and cancel Flock camera contract; council sends items forward for study

A large and sustained public-comment period at the March 4 San Bernardino City Council meeting centered on two linked items: a proposed citywide constitutional-rights resolution and a proposed 'safe communities' resolution that would clarify local limits on immigration-enforcement activities and require local identification and transparency from federal agents.

Community organizations and dozens of residents—including representatives from CHIRLA, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, San Bernardino Community Service Center, the Warehouse Worker Resource Center, and San Bernardino Young Democrats—urged the council to adopt the resolutions and to stop renewing a contract with Flock Safety, a private vendor that operates a network of license-plate readers here. “These cameras are used to track our locations, collect our data, and monitor our daily lives,” said Brenda Huerta of the Warehouse Worker Resource Center. Several speakers said that data collected by license-plate readers can be shared with federal agencies such as ICE and DHS.

Speakers cited state laws (SB 805 and SB 627 were named during testimony) and asked the council to require officers and federal agents to display government-issued identification and to prohibit face coverings by officers on duty. Community groups offered to provide policy and technical support: “Approving these items will send a clear message to the community that we value accountability and the protection of our immigrant families,” said Natalia Saka of CHIRLA.

After a recess and a request from Mayor Tran that staff 'look into' the Flock camera concerns, councilmembers moved both items 17 and 18 forward for staff consideration and possible future action; the motion passed unanimously. At the meeting the council did not adopt the resolutions; rather, it directed staff to study the proposals and report back.

The council’s procedural vote advances the items to a future agenda, where staff analyses, legal review, and proposed ordinance or resolution language are expected. Community groups requested that any staff report include compliance checks for SB 805 and SB 627 and that the council consider contract termination or non-renewal for surveillance vendors if data-sharing risks cannot be mitigated.