Community Mobilization in Olympia Targets AI Powered Surveillance
Executive Summary
Olympia residents are organizing sustained opposition to the city’s use of Flock Safety automatic license plate readers, portraying the system as a sweeping surveillance network that threatens privacy, civil liberties, and vulnerable communities. Recent events show growing public engagement, allegations of improper data access by federal agencies, and a widening call for direct action, suggesting that resistance to ALPR technology is becoming a focal point for local activism.
Analysis
Community concerns about Flock Safety ALPRs in Olympia are intensifying as residents argue that the cameras enable broad data collection, weak oversight, and unauthorized use by outside agencies. Activists frame the technology as an invasive tool that tracks daily movement, places individuals under constant observation, and exposes personal information to actors far beyond local control. These concerns are contributing to larger narratives about state surveillance, privatized data systems, and historical misuse of technology against marginalized groups.
More than 150 residents attended a public meeting on November 10 to discuss Flock ALPR capabilities, with overflow crowds gathering outside the venue to participate.
Dozens addressed the city council the following week, calling for the termination of the Olympia Police Department’s two year, ninety thousand dollar contract for fifteen ALPR cameras scheduled for renewal in March 2026.
Activists pointed to a Skagit County Court ruling that Flock images qualify as public records and can be obtained through the Washington Public Records Act, raising concerns about unrestricted third party access.
Community members cited alleged system vulnerabilities, claims of more than nine hundred known software issues, and reports that Border Patrol accessed Washington ALPR data thousands of times in 2025 without local authorization.
Examples from other jurisdictions, such as Boulder, Colorado, were used to argue that Flock’s transparency portals vastly underreport actual data sharing, with one records request revealing more than six thousand agencies accessing local data.
Anarchist and anti-surveillance groups are amplifying the issue, linking opposition to ALPRs with broader critiques of policing, state authority, and social control. The release of the Social War Bulletin and calls for autonomous action suggest an ideological layer to the movement that encourages decentralized, confrontational tactics alongside public advocacy. This messaging emphasizes identity protection, community self organization, and direct resistance to surveillance infrastructure.
The combination of legal concerns, technical criticisms, and political framing indicates that opposition to Flock systems is likely to persist and may broaden as the March 2026 contract decision approaches. Local officials should expect continued public pressure, expanded activist networks, and increased scrutiny of data handling practices. Grassroots organizing in other cities has prompted contract cancellations, which activists cite as a model for action in Olympia.
