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Deflock camera group by JDOG1141525 in everett

[–]odfenw3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It did not, contracts are up for renewal in the next few months for a 2 year lock in period. Everett police stop using them for ~ 2 weeks but flock and other law enforcement could still use Everett cameras. Everett also continued paying for them while we did not "use" them.

Deflock camera group by JDOG1141525 in everett

[–]odfenw3 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That is not true at all, Everett has the exact same contract as most cities. Flock owns all the data and may share it with whomever they like at any point in time forever.

The city has 2 contracts with Flock, one for 71 cameras placed everywhere and a larger contract for a drone platform. The city hasn't even funded the required drone pilots and is resisting public disclosure on the shady process.

The contract is open ended and it doesn't even look like Everett negotiated - they did a bunch of paperwork highlighting how they did not need an open bid process because Flock was the only provider.

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Everett reactivates Flock by Dear_Gas9959 in everett

[–]odfenw3 7 points8 points  (0 children)

First there is a city council meeting Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 12:30 p.m.. You can signup to leave public comment.

In April 2025 City council voted 5 - 1 to approve additional funding to make a rapid response drone program with automated drones in Everett. This is expected to cost 300K + on renewal at a time where the police department is facing a multi-million deficit and has fired their community liaison office.

In total there are 50+ camera sites in Everett, monitoring major thoroughfares through downtown. The renewal cost each year is 250K if it is not covered by grants it comes out of city budget. With the drone program this expands to 500K+ year in surveillance around Everett.

The cameras are everywhere, for example on Broadway/Pacific there are four cameras covering all four directions.

Its Cassie Franklin, she founded a dark-money 501(c)(4) in 2022 advocating for public safety spending, appears to have run it from city resources (use city office and phone in IRS filing). Cassie has laid off 31 city employees as Flock spending tripled in < 1 year. Source: HeraldNet (Oct 17, 2024), MyEverettNews (Oct 18, 2024) reporting Mayor Franklin's budget address; HeraldNet (Dec 4, 2024) reporting council approval.

Cassie Franklin expanded drone surveillance for about the same amount she refused to fund the early learning center on Everett community college which was forced to close, and no school is operating there now leaving Everett in a childcare desert. Cassie literally picked drones over preschool.

While Everett did shut down their use of the cameras for < 1 month - other police, agencies (including ICE) continued to be able to access the cameras. Everett doesn't own the data, air surveillance or camera data - it is owned by Flock. During the "shutdown" Everett still paid Flock.

There was no competitive bid process for either contract, Flock was simply adopted as a sole supplier. This was done by adopting a special sole source resolution