Thursday May 7 2026 at Berkeley City Council
It is Decision Time for mass surveillance (spying) in Berkeley. The votes the city council takes on May 7 will set the community’s direction on public safety for years to come. And that direction is looking grim.
The choice facing a very divided council is whether to move away from so-called “community oriented policing” to tech-driven, automated, computer-oriented enforcement. This change is part of the national movement, inspired by Donald Trump, to rely on private-sector tech, AI, and surveillance tools to drive law enforcement and immigration policies.
There is a more concrete link between the local policing and the national MAGA agenda. The company that supplies those surveillance cameras, “Flock Safety,” is very close with Trump and with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). While Flock denies sharing cities’ data with ICE, sources document numerous ways that the immigration agency can get access to our the massive stores of images and videos from our people.
Tell your council member “NO” to mass surveillance
Demand an end to Flock’s surveillance contract
Join a Phone Bank, sponsored by Berkeley Copwatch, conducted over Zoom. No experience necessary and you can make calls from the comfort of your own home.
This Thursday, April 30
— 5:30PM TO 8:30PM
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89720975680 Meeting ID: 897 2097 5680
Rally Thursday May 7 4-5PM, before the city council meeting
Flock opponents will rally at 4pm in the courtyard outside the council chamber 1231 Addison Street.
Speak up at the special city council meeting, May 7 at 5pm
Advocates for privacy and immigrant rights have twice frustrated this massive surveillance expansion. On September 9, 2025, and March 23, 2026, a massive outpouring of community opposition raised crucial issues about abuse of Flock-controlled data, including right here in Berkeley. In both meetings public comment went beyond 1AM, forcing council to table the subject to future meetings.
