Providence officials have deferred a decision on whether to ban automated license plate readers, leaving the future of the city’s surveillance technology in limbo.
The Providence Special Committee on Health, Opportunity, Prosperity and Education heard over two hours of public testimony on Thursday before voting to continue the item without taking action on the proposed ordinance, Uprise RI reported.
The proposed ordinance seeks to amend Chapter 18.5 of the city’s Code of Ordinances to regulate or prohibit the use of automated license plate readers (ALPR). Currently, the Providence Police Department utilizes a system supplied by Flock Safety, a vendor that has become a central flashpoint in the debate over municipal privacy and public safety.
The delay follows a heated session where residents, students, and law enforcement clashed over the balance between investigative efficacy and civil liberties. Council President Rachel Miller, the ordinance's sponsor, opened the testimony by questioning data security and vendor transparency.
“We can’t trust for-profit companies, tech companies with this data,” Miller said.
Flock provided federal agencies access to its system
Miller’s case against the current system relied on documentation from a U.S. senator from Oregon. According to the senator’s office, Flock provided U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Secret Service, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service access to its system during a 2025 pilot program. This occurred despite previous assurances to local police customers that the company had no relationship with the Department of Homeland Security.
The senator also reported that passwords for at least 35 Flock customer accounts had been stolen. Adding to the scrutiny, Miller cited research conducted by Rhode Island College students, working with Councilor Sue AnderBois, which found that Providence data had been accessed over 3 million times. The student research further said that the cameras are clustered in Black and Latino neighborhoods, suggesting surveillance is not distributed equitably.
Miller suggested the ordinance could go further than its current draft by barring Flock and similar systems from being used by private businesses within city limits, specifically mentioning big box retailers like Walmart.
Police advocate for alternative vendors
Law enforcement officials argued that while the vendor may be problematic, the technology itself is a vital tool for solving violent crimes. Commander O’Hara of the Providence Police Department pointed to a July 6 shooting on Harris Avenue, where five young people were wounded. He said that detectives used the license plate reader system to identify a fleeing SUV, which led to the arrest of all five suspects on July 10.
Captain Dennis O’Brien, commanding officer of the Detective Bureau, provided a statistical comparison of homicide clearance rates to illustrate the department’s evolving success:
| Period | Total Homicides | Homicides Cleared | Clearance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2021 | 156 | 104 | ~66% |
| 2022–2026 | 42 | 35 | ~83% |
O’Brien clarified that the technology is not solely responsible for these improvements and emphasized that the cameras capture still photographs rather than continuous video and do not employ facial recognition. He urged the committee to address vendor-specific concerns rather than eliminating ALPR technology entirely, suggesting the city explore platforms that allow for internal data ownership.
Councilor-elect David Marshall, a former public safety professional, echoed this sentiment, arguing that the city should not remove the tool without a replacement. He suggested that if the city chooses to drop Flock, it should seek a company that adheres to the City Council’s specific guidelines.
Public testimony highlights privacy fears
The public comment portion of the meeting featured more than a dozen speakers, including members of Amnesty International USA and the Rhode Islanders for Personal Privacy. Many residents argued that switching vendors would not resolve the underlying issues of surveillance and potential federal overreach.
Angel Lopez, a local privacy advocate, said that the presence of the cameras and the potential for ICE involvement adds a layer of fear to the neighborhood. This sentiment was reinforced by Noel Pichardo, a former Pawtucket police officer, who told the committee he resigned last year over the issue. Pichardo claimed a Providence police detective had privately alleged abuse of the technology but was unwilling to come forward officially.
Other speakers challenged the police department’s metrics. A Smith Hill resident said that homicide clearance rates can fluctuate significantly due to the relatively small number of annual murders, and a Brown University student argued that the breakthrough in a recent university shooting case resulted from eyewitness testimony rather than license plate data.
The committee’s decision to continue the item means no final vote was cast on the ban. Residents were informed that they can continue to submit written testimony to the City Clerk’s Office for distribution to all council members.
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