Yakima installs Flock camera near Elementary School, potentially violating WA state law
Video posted from DeFlock Yakima shows a newly installed Flock camera placed along a trail leading to Robertson Elementary School and near a public playground.
What the law says
The placement of this camera may be in direct violation of Senate Bill 6002, which makes it illegal for Flock cameras to be installed near "health care facilities, areas conducting immigration matters, and elementary and secondary schools."
This Flock camera may violate SB-6002 because it's on the "...immediate surroundings or access to or from..." Robertson Elementary School and captures data from two major access points to the school: Powerhouse Road and Powerhouse Canal Trail.
Next Steps
News stories across the country report how some cops abuse their Flock privileges to conduct unauthorized searches, enabling them to stalk people. This Flock camera poses a massive risk to elementary schoolers and their families, who are expected to use these two routes as the school year begins.
In Washington State, Flock cameras have already been weaponized by ICE to target immigrants. The placement of this camera could pose a risk to the vast majority of Robertson Elementary's students and their families, where 80% of students are Hispanic.
Yakima Police is also under scrutiny after video footage from a legal observer showed police handing over an individual to ICE custody, leading some to question whether or not Yakima PD is collaborating with ICE on immigration matters, which would also violate the Keep Washington Working Act which "restricts the extent to which local law enforcement agencies (LEAs) may participate in the enforcement of federal immigration laws."
SB-6002 strengthens the usage of cloud-based, AI driven surveillance, but fails to create a dedicated auditing and enforcement mechanism, instead delegating some of that responsibility to the Attorney General's Office in the form of oversight, not enforcement.
Anyone personally affected by this Flock camera — like a parent walking their child to school — could have reasonable cause to litigate against the city under SB-6002. The paperwork and attorney fees could be extensive for a family to handle, and non-profits like the Washington ACLU could offer support and assistance.
Washington State has no plans to pull funding for Flock grants or ban AI surveillance entirely. Meanwhile, Florida has banned Flock from state roads. Rather than waiting for the state or Governor's office to enact laws banning AI Surveillance, residents across the state are forming DeFlock groups and are effectively getting cities to shut down their systems.
