LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — After the Clark County School District announced a pause on the use of Flock surveillance cameras for investigations, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada is calling on school trustees to take action.
In a Wednesday letter to the Board of School Trustees, the ACLU Nevada said it would be "reckless" to allow CCSD Police to make decisions about adopting the technology without board oversight.
This comes after a memo surfaced from new CCSD Police Chief Jeff Clark that outlined the proper use of Flock System cameras for investigations. Shortly after the memo came to light, CCSD announced it would stop using the cameras, for now.
While Clark's memo was made public in August, CCSD confirmed school police had been using the surveillance cameras — which it has access to through the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department — since at least August 2024.
WATCH | Learn more about the ongoing debate over license plate reader cameras in Nevada:
"CCSD's ability to search or access surveillance-style data raises serious concerns about the tracking of students and families. This has occurred without Board authorization, public notice, or community input," ACLU Nevada executive director Athar Haseebullah wrote.
"It would be a dereliction of your responsibilities to pretend as if this issue does not exist," Haseebullah continued. "The Board should agendize this matter and provide an opportunity for public comment before CCSDPD continues any use of Flock or other ALPR systems."
In an Aug. 28 statement, CCSD wrote that district leaders "understand the imperative to balance the need for privacy with the need to respond quickly to serious crimes."
"CCSD will be fully transparent with the community about the use of Flock System cameras," district officials wrote.
Channel 13 also reached out to CCSD on Wednesday for its response to the ACLU's letter.
The debate over license plate reader cameras has been heating up in Nevada and across the country in recent months, with civilians and civil rights groups raising privacy concerns.
As Channel 13 previously reported, LVMPD has used Flock Safety cameras since at least 2023, and also has access to ALPR technology through Motorola. The department says the technology is a vital investigative tool that has helped save lives.
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In a statement to Channel 13, Flock Safety said it "strongly supports clear legislation establishing guardrails for license plate reader use."
"Public safety, privacy and Fourth Amendment rights can — and should — coexist, with each community helping determine the policies that reflect its laws and values," a Flock spokesperson wrote.
Haseebullah says the ACLU Nevada is calling on the Nevada Legislature to ban ALPR surveillance programs when it convenes for the 2027 Legislative Session.
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