https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/redmond-turns-off-flock-safety-cameras-after-ice-arrests/ Skip to content * Local News + Law & Justice + Local Politics + Traffic Lab + Climate Lab + Environment + Weather + Health + Data/FYI Guy + Project Homeless + Education Lab + Education + Times Watchdog + Mental Health + Eastside + Equity & Inclusion + Danny Westneat + Naomi Ishisaka * Business & Tech + Boeing & Aerospace + Real Estate + Amazon + Technology + Microsoft + Economy + Artificial Intelligence + Jon Talton * Nation & World + Nation + World + Nation & World Politics + Oddities * Sports + Seahawks + Huskies + Mariners + Cougars + Kraken + Sounders + Storm + Reign + High School Sports + On TV/Radio + Mike Vorel + Matt Calkins * Entertainment + Music + Movies + Books + TV/Streaming + Theater + Visual Arts + Classical Music * Life + Food & Drink + Travel + Outdoors + Wellness + Culture + How to Seattle + Rant & Rave * Opinion + Editorials + Letters to the Editor + Op-Eds + David Horsey + Free Press/Briar Dudley + Kate Riley + Melissa Davis + Alex Fryer + Carlton Winfrey + Claudia Rowe + Josh Farley * Print Replica * Games & Puzzles + KenKen + LA Times Crossword + New Jigsaw Puzzle - Beta + NY Times Crossword + Word Flower + Seattle Wordy + Seattle Times News Quiz + New Crossword + WordroW + New Sudoku + Mini Crossword + Word Search + Killer Sudoku + New Easy Sudoku + New Hard Sudoku * Comics * Horoscopes * Paid Obituaries * Newsletters * Today's Paper * Pacific NW Magazine * Homes & Real Estate * At Home * Video * Photography * Latest * Inside the Times * The Ticket * Explore * Best in the PNW * Jobs * Autos * Classifieds * Sponsored * Contact * Newsletters * Log In * Subscribe Law & Justice * Local * Biz * Nation * Sports * Entertainment * Life * Homes * Opinion * | * The Ticket * Jobs * Explore * All Sections * Local News + Law & Justice + Local Politics + Traffic Lab + Climate Lab + Environment + Weather + Health + Data/FYI Guy + Project Homeless + Education Lab + Education + Times Watchdog + Mental Health + Eastside + Equity & Inclusion + Danny Westneat + Naomi Ishisaka * Business & Tech + Boeing & Aerospace + Real Estate + Amazon + Technology + Microsoft + Economy + Artificial Intelligence + Jon Talton * Nation & World + Nation + World + Nation & World Politics + Oddities * Sports + Seahawks + Huskies + Mariners + Cougars + Kraken + Sounders + Reign + Storm + High School Sports + On TV/Radio + Mike Vorel + Matt Calkins * Entertainment + Music + Movies + Books + TV/Streaming + Theater + Visual Arts + Classical Music + Comics + Games & Puzzles + Horoscopes * Life + Food & Drink + Travel + Outdoors + Wellness + Culture + How to Seattle + Rant & Rave * Opinion + Editorials + Letters to the Editor + Op-Eds + David Horsey + Free Press/Brier Dudley + Kate Riley + Melissa Davis + Alex Fryer + Carlton Winfrey + Claudia Rowe + Josh Farley * Pacific NW Magazine * Homes & Real Estate * At Home * Photo & Video * Inside the Times * Paid Obituaries * Latest * The Ticket * Explore * Best in the PNW * Jobs * Autos * Classifieds * Sponsored * Newsletters * Print Replica * Today's Paper * Contact * Politics * Law & Justice * Watchdog * Mental Health * Education Lab * Project Homeless * Traffic Lab * Eastside * Climate Lab * Obituaries Law & Justice * Politics * Law & Justice * Watchdog * Mental Health * Education Lab * Project Homeless * Traffic Lab * Eastside * Climate Lab * Obituaries Law & Justice * Newsletters * Log In * Subscribe Washington state election results 2025 * Eastside * Law & Justice * Local News * News Redmond turns off Flock Safety cameras after ICE arrests Nov. 10, 2025 at 6:00 am Updated Nov. 10, 2025 at 6:00 am By Catalina Gaitan Seattle Times breaking news reporter Redmond police turned off their city's Flock Safety cameras last week after masked, unidentified officers -- later identified as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents -- arrested seven people, at least three less than a mile from one or more of the city's cameras. During a City Council session Oct. 27, Redmond police Chief Darrell Lowe said no federal agency had accessed the city's Flock data, but agreed to suspend officers' access to the system until city officials had discussed ending Redmond's contract with the company. Redmond City Council member Angie Nuevacamina said Thursday the proximity of the arrests to some of the city's cameras was coincidental, and not because ICE had "somehow tapped into" Redmond's Flock cameras or data. The city suspended its Flock system because city officials could not guarantee they wouldn't be forced to release data collected by those devices someday, she said. Their concerns may have been prescient. On Thursday, a Skagit County Superior Court judge ruled that pictures taken by Flock cameras in the cities of Sedro-Woolley and Stanwood qualify as public records, and therefore must be released as required by the state's Public Records Act, court records show. Flock's cameras, also called automated license plate readers, continuously and indiscriminately capture time- and location-stamped photos of any passing vehicles. Those images are then stored, and information about the vehicles, including their condition, make, model and license plate number, is added to a searchable database controlled by the customer. Last week's Skagit County ruling could oblige the dozens of Washington police agencies which use Flock cameras, ostensibly to help them find stolen vehicles, crime suspects and missing people, to release the photos and data they collect -- an outcome privacy advocates warned was possible. Advertising Related More The ruling also exacerbated concerns about potential misuse of Flock data, which swelled after University of Washington researchers released a report Oct. 21 showing federal immigration agencies like ICE and Border Patrol had accessed the data of at least 18 Washington cities, often without their police departments' knowing. The report raised concerns that the agencies might be using the data to target and arrest immigrants as part of Trump's immigration crackdown. Redmond was the latest in a string of Flock-using, Seattle-area cities to change their surveillance programs in the last three weeks in response to those concerns. Police officials in Renton, Auburn, Mukilteo and Lakewood, Pierce County, changed their Flock settings after the UW report showed federal agencies had accessed their Flock data. The agencies never requested permission to access their cities' data, and the respective police departments weren't aware it happened until after UW researchers notified them or they saw the report, the officials said. Redmond's Police Department was not among those listed in the report, and has never allowed external agencies to access their Flock data without requesting and receiving permission from the police chief first, according to an Oct. 24 statement by Lowe. But concerns about the cameras, and potential misuse of the data they collect, still swirled among Redmond residents and City Council members after photos and videos began circulating online last Monday of masked, unidentified officers emerging from unmarked cars and arresting people in town. Three arrests by ICE at Redmond's Bear Creek Village shopping center, the parking lot of a Home Depot and near the intersection of Avondale Road Northeast and Novelty Hill Road Northeast all happened within a half-mile of at least one of Redmond's 24 Flock cameras, according to a partial list of their locations provided through a public disclosure request. Advertising The city installed most of its cameras on Redmond's "main thoroughfares" in May and began using them in June, according to Nuevacamina and Redmond police spokesperson Jill Green. Though Lowe confirmed no federal agencies had accessed Redmond's Flock system, Nuevacamina said residents' and city officials' concerns about the technology were still strong enough to support turning the cameras off. The step was also one of the few things city officials could do to help residents who felt powerless that day, as Redmond's police officers were not allowed to intervene in ICE activity, and residents could not either without risking arrest or their own personal safety, she said. Turning off Redmond's Flock cameras was what the city had in its "tool belt to be able to protect and stand up for (their) community," Nuevacamina said. In a statement Saturday, Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary, confirmed ICE agents arrested seven people Nov. 3 in Redmond. McLaughlin's statement did not identify those arrested but accused all of them of being in the country illegally. Flock Safety is communicating with Redmond city officials to address their concerns and hopefully convince them to reverse their decision, the company's chief legal officer, Dan Haley, said in a phone call Friday. The company is also advocating for legislation that would prevent people from "taking advantage of" Washington's public records law, Haley said. Flock can be made to release data collected by its technology through a subpoena or court order, Haley said, but the company would not do so without notifying and involving its customer first. The cameras also only capture what anyone could see on a public road, where there is no legal expectation of privacy, he said. Advertising Communities must balance concerns they have about Flock cameras against what Haley called the "very real outcomes" of using the technology: "these are kidnapped kids returned home, elderly people with dementia found quickly." For now, all Redmond police officers' access to the city's Flock data has been turned off. Two Police Department employees can access the data, but only to fulfill public records requests, and two police administrators can access -- but not search -- the data. A "disconnect signal" was also sent Tuesday morning to all of the cameras, which will stop them from taking and storing photos, Redmond police officials said. During the Oct. 27 City Council session, Lowe said he would meet with Redmond Mayor Angela Birney Nov. 18 to "see where we go from here." Redmond City Council President Vanessa Kristzer said she had "grave concerns" about continuing to use Flock's technology. "We will continue to explore every avenue to be able to keep our community members safe and their dignity and human rights protected," Kristzer said. Catalina Gaitan: 206-464-8276 or cgaitan@seattletimes.com. Catalina Gaitan is a breaking news reporter at The Seattle Times. Most Read Local Stories + Katie Wilson gains on Bruce Harrell as mayor's race goes down to the wire + Washington state election results 2025: Seattle mayoral race tightens + Sea-Tac Airport flight cancellations climbed again Sunday + Redmond turns off Flock Safety cameras after ICE arrests + Would-be carjacking victim shoots 2 in self-defense, Seattle police say The Seattle Times closes comments on particularly sensitive stories. If you would like to share your thoughts or experiences in relation to this story, please email the reporter or submit a letter to be considered for publication in our Opinion section. You can read more about our community policies here. 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