404 Media 获得了监控公司 Flock Safety 提供给执法部门的指导手册，揭示了这家企业教导警察如何在城市议会上推销其自动车牌识别技术的策略[1]。根据该手册，Flock 首席执行官 Jamie Hudson 建议警察不要试图直接反驳"大规模监控"的指控，而是通过重新框架化财务讨论和强调程序问责来获得城市支持[1]。手册还建议执法部门在公众反对前"掌控话题"[1]。
然而，Flock 的技术存在多项争议。该公司的数据经常违反庇护城市法律被转交给移民和海关执法局（ICE）[1]。其监控系统曾被用于搜索 83,000 台摄像头追踪一名在德州进行堕胎的女性[1]。尽管存在这些隐患，奥克兰公民议会在收到 140 多条公众评论后仍投票支持该技术，尽管该市隐私顾问委员会表示反对[1]。里士满市曾因担忧数据会被 ICE 访问而暂停 Flock 合同，但后来以 4-3 的投票结果恢复了该系统[1]。
404 Media has obtained an internal guidance document provided by Flock Safety to law enforcement agencies, exposing how the automated license plate reader company instructs police departments to promote its surveillance technology at city council meetings [1]. The manual advises officers to "control the narrative" before public opposition emerges and counsels against directly denying accusations of "mass surveillance," instead recommending that police reframe financial discussions and emphasize procedural accountability to secure municipal support [1].
The leaked guide comes amid mounting controversy over Flock's data practices and applications. Flock data is frequently shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in violation of sanctuary city laws [1]. The company's technology has been deployed to search through 83,000 cameras to track a woman who obtained an abortion in Texas [1]. Additionally, the system has been used to harass protesters [1]. Despite these concerns, Oakland's city council received over 140 public comments opposing Flock—including opposition from the city's own privacy advisory committee—yet voted to proceed with the technology [1]. Richmond initially suspended its Flock contract over fears that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could access the data, but later reversed the decision in a 4-3 vote to restore the system [1].