Publisher: Willamette Week
Date Published: June 29, 2026
Relevant To: Bend’s own Flock deactivation; SB 1516 comparative analysis; stronger-law models (WA, TX)
Verification Status: Verified
Notes: Confirmed via full-text fetch. CRITICAL LOCAL RELEVANCE: This article explicitly names Bend among multiple Oregon cities (Albany, Bend, Eugene, Springfield, Woodburn) that have turned off their Flock cameras in recent months, citing potential for abuse. Woodburn (Oregon’s largest Latino population, 31% immigrant) removed cameras entirely after confirming immigration enforcement accessed city camera data dozens of times, per The Oregonian. Core story: Flock publicly endorsed Oregon’s SB 1516 (signed by Gov. Kotek, effective March 31, 2026), which limits ALPR use to clear law enforcement purposes, requires 30-day data deletion absent ongoing investigation, restricts use in violation of Oregon’s sanctuary law, and requires search logging. EFF’s Sarah Hamid calls Flock’s endorsement of the law “a cause for concern” since it suggests the restrictions are too loose. ACLU of Oregon’s Ethan Krow says the law leaves “concerning loopholes” open despite some improvements. Key comparative data points: Oregon is one of at least 16 states with any ALPR restrictions; Texas requires a warrant/court order for plate data use in investigations; Washington bans ALPRs near schools, immigration/health facilities, and places of worship, and bars tracking of abortion/gender-affirming care seekers or protest monitoring specifically — both stronger models than Oregon’s law. ACLU says Flock misreads up to 10% of scanned plates. A pending lawsuit (Rural Organizing Project) alleges ICE has used Oregonians’ ALPR data via Oregon State Police data-sharing agreements despite sanctuary-law prohibitions — Oregon Law Center documented hundreds of federal immigration searches of Oregon plate databases in late 2025. EFF’s Hamid: ~70 cities nationwide have turned off/canceled/blocked ALPR contracts. Portland (Motorola, not Flock) has NOT deactivated its cameras; PPB says it would refuse any federal data request. HIGH PRIORITY for BPA — directly documents Bend’s own ALPR deactivation and provides a stronger-law comparison (Washington, Texas) for future ordinance advocacy.