Mount Vernon City Council hears presentation on Flock cameras, discusses censuring mayor

MOUNT VERNON - The Mount Vernon City Council heard a presentation Wednesday from Police Chief Dan Christman on Flock Safety cameras.

On June 24, the council voted to turn off the city's six Flock cameras. The vote was 4-1. Two councilmembers were absent.

Christman told the council that he accepts its decision, but he is disappointed because he believes the cameras have helped the Mount Vernon Police Department in several investigations.

He specifically mentioned that the cameras helped the department locate the vehicles used by suspects in a recent homicide case, and by suspects in a child molestation case.

Christman told the council that he believes automated license plate readers, such as the city's Flock cameras, are one of the most powerful tools a police department can use.

For months, residents have voiced their concerns about Flock cameras at council meetings. Many of their concerns regarded Flock Safety's network and its ties to federal immigration enforcement.

In an email sent Saturday, Councilmember Hannah Oliver said that in the past six months there have been about 57 public comments, emails and printed statements provided to the council opposing the city's use of Flock cameras.

She also noted that at the June 24 council meeting, Skagit County's chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America delivered a petition with about 430 signatures from those opposing the city's contract with Flock Safety.

Some public commenters have also said they feel that the common use of automated license plate readers is trending toward the creation of a surveillance state.

Christman said his department has been careful in ensuring that the city's Flock data is secure, but he couldn't speak to the greater fear of mass surveillance.

"I don't know how to control that fear. All I can do is control those things that I have control of, and that's my people, the use of the system - or the misuse of the system - and then deal with it swiftly and decisively," Christman told the council. "I guess what I want is for you to know that I'm going to do that. I'm always going to do that. No matter if it's Flock or anything else in my agency, I won't tolerate misuse."

In a {span}study published in October{span}, the University of Washington Center for Human Rights found that the U.S. Border Patrol had access to the Flock Safety networks of at least 10 local law enforcement agencies in Washington from May 2025 to August 2025. Additionally, at least eight agencies enabled the sharing of their data with Border Patrol in 2025.

The study found that the Mount Vernon Police Department was one of only three jurisdictions in the state to have maintained a Flock network without being exposed to searches from Border Patrol or other state law enforcement agencies.

"I believe we've really bent over backwards to make sure we checked all the boxes," Christman said regarding the city's Flock data.

Oliver told Christman that the council's concerns with Flock cameras are not aimed at the Mount Vernon Police Department. The concerns are instead aimed at Flock Safety and other agencies.

"I don't think any of us up here are questioning the Mount Vernon Police Department. It's ‘Who else has access? Could this potentially be used improperly?" as we've seen in other places that it has happened," Oliver told Christman Wednesday.

Following Christman's presentation on Flock cameras, the council discussed comments made by Mayor Peter Donovan following the June 24 meeting.

The June 24 city council meeting agenda, which was published five days prior to the meeting, did not include a discussion - or vote - on Flock cameras.

Donovan said that without the item on the agenda, the public was unable to properly interact with the council prior to the vote.

He said adding the item to the agenda during the meeting circumvented the democratic process.

Donovan claimed that this process was also circumvented at the council's March 11 meeting, when the council added an item regarding Flock cameras to the agenda during the meeting.

Some councilmembers said Wednesday that the mayor's comments, and the language used in his statements, were inappropriate.

Councilmember Randy West requested that an item to "censure Mayor Donovan" be placed on the July 8 City Council meeting agenda.

West said Donovan's comments following the June 24 meeting violated the city's municipal code.

The council held a discussion Wednesday about possibly censuring Donovan.

Some councilmembers said they disapproved of Donovan's comments, and they'd be in favor of a censure. Others said they'd like to move on from the June 24 meeting in order to focus on other city business.

An item regarding whether to censure Donovan is on the agenda for the July 8 City Council meeting.

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This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 7:05 AM.