Renton council votes to cover Flock cameras with garbage bags

12 August 2026. [AI first draft. Verify every fact against the source before publishing.]

The Renton City Council approved a motion on August 3 to cover the city's automated license plate reader cameras with dark garbage bag material and zip ties while they remain inactive. The cameras have been turned off since early May. A separate proposal to pause the Flock Safety contract is scheduled for a council vote next week, according to reporting from August 10. During that same meeting, a motion from Councilmember James Alberson to reactivate the cameras was rejected.

The decision to cover the cameras could require redirecting city crews away from the Sartori Elementary School traffic safety project, which is scheduled to be completed by the start of the school year. The cameras are being monitored to ensure they remain inactive. This action follows months of debate over Renton's use of automated license plate readers, with city leaders weighing the cameras' value as investigative tools against concerns about privacy, data sharing, and public trust.

DeFlock Renton, a group opposed to the surveillance system, is urging the council to go further and terminate the city's contract with Flock Safety entirely. The group contends that covering the cameras acknowledges privacy concerns but does not fully address underlying objections to the technology. Residents can monitor their own city's ALPR contracts by checking council agendas and voting records to track renewal decisions and contract terms.

Read the original reporting: KOMO.