Providence Offers ‘Profound Apologies’ to Woman Denied Emergency Abortion Care at St. Joseph Hospital
Ryan Burns / Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 @ 10:32 a.m. / Health Care
Eureka chiropractor Anna Nusslock speaking at a press conference with California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday. | Screenshot.
PREVIOUSLY: Attorney General Sues St. Joseph Hospital for Denying a Woman Emergency Abortion Care
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Earlier this week, after being sued by the State of California for refusing emergency abortion care to a woman whose water had broken months prematurely, executives with the Catholic health care system Providence reached out to her in an effort to apologize, according to a statement forwarded to the Outpost by Providence’s national public relations office.
On Tuesday, one day after the state’s suit was filed here in Humboldt County Superior Court, Providence Northern California Service Area Chief Executive Garry Olney sent the following message to all Providence employees in the Northern California Service Area:
As you have likely heard, yesterday we learned that the California attorney general filed a lawsuit alleging that we denied emergency care to a pregnant patient in Humboldt County earlier this year.
We are heartbroken over the experience this patient had while in our care and reached out to her today in an effort to express our profound apologies.
This was a tragic situation that did not meet our high standards for safe, quality, compassionate care. We are immediately re-visiting our training, education and escalation processes in emergency medical situations to ensure that this does not happen again and to ensure that our care teams have the training and support they need to deliver the best possible care for each patient we serve.
As devasted [sic] as we are, we can’t begin to imagine what the patient and her family have been through. We will learn from this and renew our commitment to ensuring that the care and experience we deliver are aligned with our high standards, every time and in every care setting.
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Below is video of California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s Monday press conference with Eureka chiropractor Anna Nusslock, the woman who was allegedly denied the emergency abortion care. Nusslock tells her story in her own words starting shortly after the 13-minute mark:
BOOKED
Today: 5 felonies, 16 misdemeanors, 0 infractions
JUDGED
Humboldt County Superior Court Calendar: Today
CHP REPORTS
5410 Mm101 N Hum M54.10 (HM office): Assist with Construction
ELSEWHERE
County of Humboldt Meetings: Humboldt County Workforce Development Board Meeting for May 29, 2026
Governor’s Office: Governor Newsom proclaims Older Californians Month
RHBB: Road Work Planned for Redway Area Starting This Week
RHBB: Caltrans District 1 Pays Tribute to Fallen Highway Workers
EAT UP THE TOWN! Eureka’s Taste of Main Street Returns for the First Time in Four Years
LoCO Staff / Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 @ 10:05 a.m. / Food
Press release from Eureka Main Street:
Eureka Main Street is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated return of Taste of Main Street on Thursday, October 3, 2024, from 5 PM to 8 PM. This beloved event invites food lovers to indulge in a culinary adventure throughout the vibrant Downtown and Old Town Eureka districts. Guests can savor mouthwatering bites from over fifteen participating restaurants, including favorites like Familia Cafe, Wok In Wok Out Asian Eatery, The Hood Eureka, Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate, GuateMayan Yum Yums, Taco Town Fruteria, Kaptain’s Quarters, The Madrone Brick Fire Pizza & Taphouse, Living the Dream Ice Cream, Los Bagels, The Greene Lily Café, Surfside Burger Shack and Sweet Greens Juice Bar—all for just $35 per ticket.
“Taste of Main Street is a celebration of our local culinary scene and an excellent opportunity for restaurants to showcase their signature dishes,” said Amanda Kruschke, Executive Director of Eureka Main Street. “We can’t wait to bring our community together for an evening of fun, food, and connection!”
Event Highlights:
- Date: Thursday, October 3, 2024
- Time: 5 PM - 8 PM
- Location: Downtown and Old Town Eureka
- Ticket Price: $35
- Pick-Up Information: Tickets must be picked up at the Eureka Welcome Center (108 F Street) from October 1st to 3rd.
Tickets can be purchased online at NorthCoastTickets.com or in person at the Eureka Welcome Center. Guests are encouraged to act quickly, as tickets are expected to sell out fast!
In addition to tantalizing food, the event promises a lively atmosphere, making it a perfect outing for friends, families, and food enthusiasts alike. Guests will receive a map of participating restaurants and can present their tickets at each location to enjoy delicious “tastes” from each establishment. Note: Valid IDs are required for alcoholic beverage tastings.
Taste of Main Street also serves as the kickoff for the Redwood Coast Music Festival, which runs from October 3-6 and features four days of live music across seven venues, showcasing over 100 sets of New Orleans Jazz, Blues, Swing, Zydeco, Western Swing, Rockabilly, Americana, and more! For more information about the music festival and to purchase tickets, visit rcmfest.org.
For more updates about Taste of Main Street, follow Eureka Main Street on social media or contact us at 707-441-4187 or eurekamainstreet@eurekaca.gov.
Join us for a night of unforgettable flavors, community spirit, and fun at Taste of Main Street 2024—Mmmm…Tasty!
GUEST OPINION: Not So Fast!
Carol Moné / Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 @ 7:15 a.m. / Guest Opinion
Social media sites are ablaze with complaints about speeding. Near misses, run-over kitties and general anger at speeders get lots of attention. Nobody, except perhaps a speeder, likes speeders.
What
can we do to stop speeders? Most of the commonly suggested solutions
don’t work. Signs are ignored. Policing traffic is an additional
burden to already underfunded police forces. Being pulled over
frightens a good portion of the community. Harsh penalties, meaning
costly tickets, are not effective for people who can afford fines.
And people who can afford fines are frequently also people who can
afford hot cars that go fast.
What does work is good road design. Given a wide, straight, smoothly-paved asphalt expanse, with few or no visual obstacles, many will accept the invitation to go fast.
Narrower lanes, curves or protrusions, vegetation and speed humps all slow people down. Sad to say, potholes also slow traffic. Narrower lanes cause drivers to be more attentive and drive more slowly. A so-called “road diet” reallocates excessive lane width to wider sidewalks and bike lanes. This gets people out of their cars and feeling safer walking, running and rolling.
The feeling of increased safety does encourage active transportation. And every person walking, cycling, rolling or riding public transit is a person who isn’t speeding down the road in a car. Complete streets policies are aimed at equal rights for all road users, motorists included, but not prioritized. The governor just signed a bill moving us in that direction.
The faster a gasoline-powered vehicle goes, the bigger its carbon footprint, so greatly reduced speeds both increase safety and protect air quality. Slower drivers are more observant of their surroundings. A shift from the last-century idea of faster, faster, faster is slowly happening. Maybe not fast enough.
Recent horrendous accidents, including the death on Harris, have really brought to light the importance of making changes to road design a priority. Nobody can control drivers who make poor choices, but good road design can ameliorate the outcomes of those choices and maybe keep people alive long enough to become thoughtful, measured drivers.
If you feel that a location seems unsafe to walk, roll or drive, be sure to make a report on Street Story.
Carol
Moné
Trinidad, Calif.
The Legislature Could Override Nearly Every Newsom Veto. Why Don’t They?
Sameea Kamal / Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 @ 7 a.m. / Sacramento
Supporters of a bill introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat pictured in the Senate on Jan. 3, 2024, say the Legislature should consider an override after the governor’s veto.
Nearly all of the 189 bills vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this year passed the Legislature with support from more than two-thirds of lawmakers — meaning the same votes from those legislators would be enough to override the governor’s veto.
But that almost never happens. In fact, the last time the Legislature overrode a governor’s veto was 1979.
So why don’t legislators fight for the bills that have such broad support?
Party loyalty, and self-protection, says Dan Schnur, politics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine University.
“A governor who’s been overridden is generally not a happy governor — and unhappy governors tend to issue more vetoes, especially against the members who voted to override,” he said.
The current Democratic supermajority — 93 of 120 seats – also means that a legislator who goes against the governor can be easily replaced among the politically favored.
In other words, Schnur said, it’s the modern-day version of, “if you come for the king, you’d best not miss.”
Monday was the deadline for the governor to act on the 1,206 bills the Legislature sent to his desk of the 2,159 introduced during the regular session this year. Newsom vetoed about 15.7% of the total bills passed – slightly higher than the state’s 15% average in recent years.
Of the 189 vetoes, 170 of the bills — about 90% — passed by more than a two-thirds majority in both the Assembly and Senate, according to a Digital Democracy analysis. About 96% of the vetoed bills passed with a two-thirds majority in at least one chamber.
A veto override requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber: which would mean at least 52 members in the Assembly and 26 in the Senate. (Democrats currently make up 62 of 79 Assemblymembers, and 31 of 40 state senators).
The governor vetoed bills for different reasons, as expressed through his veto messages. According to an analysis by lobbyist and Capitol-watcher Chris Micheli, Newsom rejected 30% of bills due to budget concerns and 27% due to disagreements over policy. He vetoed another 22% because he said they were unnecessary or stepped on the toes of other state agencies or local governments.
Asked whether the number of vetoed bills that passed with broad legislative support showed a disconnect with the executive branch, Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for the governor, said: “The executive branch and legislative branch are independent branches of government. The governor’s decisions on legislation are made solely on the merits of each bill.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media during a press conference unveiling his revised 2024-25 budget proposal at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on May 10, 2024. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters
The last veto override in 1979 was on a bill by then-Assemblymember Lou Papan that banned banks from selling insurance. It was vetoed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. It was the second override of a Brown veto in 11 days.
If there is going to be an override, legislative leadership would have to be involved in the political mutiny.
Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Santa Rosa, showed some willingness to stand up to Newsom recently by initially refusing to convene the Senate for the governor’s desired special session on gas prices. He declined to comment, however, on when he would consider an override of a governor’s veto.
Robert Rivas, speaker of the state Assembly, also declined to comment.
Thad Kousser, politics professor at the University of California, San Diego, said one reason the Legislature may let a governor’s veto go unchallenged is to let the governor do the dirty work.
“They’re happy to let the governor be the naysayer and kill the bill without them having to vote against it,” he said.
Sen. Scott Wiener, whose bill to reduce drug costs was vetoed last month despite broad support, described the governor’s action as “a really, deeply bad veto,” but he stopped short of calling for an override.
The bill, which had both Democratic and Republican co-authors, passed with wide margins in both chambers: 70-0 in the Assembly and 38-2 in the Senate. If signed, it would have required licensing of pharmacy benefit managers — companies that serve as intermediaries between insurance companies and drug manufacturers to process claims and negotiate drug prices.
The governor said in his Sept. 28 veto message that he didn’t think the licensing plan would address rising drug costs, and that more data was needed.
But Susan Bonilla, chief executive officer of the California Pharmacists Association, which sponsored the bill, pushed back on that reason. She said a study was already done in 2020, and those recommendations were added to the bill.
Bonilla — a former Assemblymember from 2010 to 2016 — said the Legislature should consider a veto override rather than try to pass a bill again next year because patients’ access to medication is a pressing issue — and implementing protections will take time.
She added that sponsors have spent years working on the bill with various legislative committees as well as with the state’s insurance and justice departments.
To go through the process again, she said, is not a wise use of legislators’ time or taxpayers’ resources.
“We had our elected representatives strongly support this bill,” she said. “They see the need for it, and I think it’s very, very important that they push ahead and seek a veto override.”
Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, told CalMatters he was evaluating next steps for the bill, including reintroducing it next year.
“I firmly believe that the Legislature should be willing to override vetoes from time to time,” he said. “We are a co-equal branch of government, and we have the power to override. I’m not saying we should do it willy-nilly, but periodically, on important issues, we should be willing to override.”
That said, since it hasn’t happened in nearly half a century, Wiener isn’t holding his breath.
“It’s been a cultural dynamic in the Capitol where veto overrides just don’t happen,” he said. “I think the thinking is, work things out ahead of time, which, of course, is always the preferred route,” he said. “But in a case like this … there’s nothing really to work out.”
Some legislators also say they understand the governor’s reasons for a veto of their bills.
Assemblymember Juan Alanis, a Republican from Modesto, gave credit to the governor for keeping the state’s budget in mind when he vetoed Alanis’ bill on homelessness and youth unemployment.
The bill passed unanimously through nearly every committee; by 97% in its Assembly floor vote and 100% support in the Senate.
“I believe as legislators, it’s our duty also to be mindful about where the taxpayers’ dollars go, so I also see where he’s coming from,” he said.
Alanis said he’ll take the cost concerns the governor listed in his veto message into consideration, and try again next year.
If the Legislature were to override a veto, they might only have that option so many times, he said. That’s why he thinks it’s worth reserving that option for the big issues worth fighting for — public safety issues, for example.
“I think, and I hope and I wish that we would push it and use our authority on that,” he said. “I guess time will tell if we’re going to be doing that in the future — if he does veto some bills that we really, really feel need to happen here in California.”
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Thomas Gerrity, a member of the Digital Democracy team, contributed to this story.
CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
OBITUARY: Preston Lea ‘Pete’ Spruance Jr., 1933-2024
LoCO Staff / Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 @ 6:56 a.m. / Obits
Preston Lea “Pete”
Spruance Jr. died on July 23, 2024 in Eureka. He had
celebrated his 91st birthday just nine days earlier and
said he was quite elated to have made it that far.
Pete was born July 14, 1933 in Norfolk, Virginia to Preston Lea Spruance and Margaret Halsey Spruance. He grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and attended Tower Hill School. He prepared at The Lawrenceville School where he graduated Cum Laude. While at Lawrenceville, he played football, contributed poems and essays to the quarterly literary publication winning a coveted essay prize, and played trombone in a Dixieland dance band.
Pete loved sailing and owned a few motor and sailboats, and he crewed on ocean racing boats during his early years on the East Coast. He spent a brief time at Princeton and MIT before settling on Ithaca College, where he had a double major in math and music, graduating Magna Cum Laude with Departmental Honors in Mathematics. Later, he earned a masters degree in Human Behavior at United States International University.
In the mid-1980s, he completed the course work at Humboldt State University for what he smilingly termed “another worthless masters degree.” When his papers were lost, he was asked to fill in teaching anthropology to incoming students, an experience he thoroughly enjoyed.
In 1960 the Navy brought him and other East Coast family members to Coronado, California for the 50th anniversary celebration of Naval Aviation and the dedication of Halsey Field at the North Island Naval Air Station to his grandfather, Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr. He raised the commissioning pennant on the newly commissioned USS Halsey DDG 97 in San Diego 45 years later.
In 1961 he left his actuarial department job at John Hancock, Boston, to accept a job offer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, as statistician in charge of data processing for research projects. While living in San Diego, Pete would be known to single-hand his skipjack schooner to Catalina Island. In the mid-1960s he picked up the trombone again to play weekly in the Jewel City Jass Band to SRO crowds at a nightspot in La Jolla.
He met his future wife, Nancy, in 1964 in San Francisco while accompanying a couple of other West Coast Spruances who had gathered to pay a visit to Admiral Raymond Spruance, retired, living on the Monterey Peninsula. Pete and Nancy were married later that year in Sausalito and continued living in San Diego County. Their two sons, Bruce and Trey, were born in 1966 and 1969 respectively.
Pete’s work career in San Diego as systems analyst on tactical data systems and other areas of research continued at Univac and other defense contract-oriented corporations. When the defense contract market softened in the late 1960s, he became a broker in commercial real estate sales. In the late 1970s, Pete was invited to return to government contract work, and he relocated his family to Eureka to manage a contract at the naval facility Centerville Beach. He retired in 1984 when that contract ended.
He was an enthusiastic and passionate learner who had many interests. Once captured by a subject, he would get to work learning fundamentals before proceeding. As an amateur radio operator (KE6LF), he built his first radio, a Heathkit, and spent decades communicating with other hams, working at repeater sites and volunteering his services where needed as an Emergency Coordinator with OES, the Red Cross and at some very lively Kinetic Sculpture races in the early 1980s. An interest in birds bolstered by Cornell Lab’s correspondence course on birds opened many years of local fun and adventurous trips and a life list of over 1,000 world birds. During this time, he discovered small-ship expedition cruising, which took him to all seven continents and over 100 islands, inhabited and uninhabited, searching for endemics. When Zodiac rides became too challenging, he turned to Atlantic crossings on small ships and on three- and five-masted sailing ships for the sheer joy of being on the water.
Pete was a loving husband and father who anchored his family by allowing personal growth to blossom unhindered and encouraged and assisted his sons’ likes and passions as those grew and evolved. An example of this dedication would be his 26-year twilight career (from 1998 to 2024) handling the complex duties at the management helm of his son’s small record company, website and retail mail-order business.
Pete loved taking his family on camping trips throughout California and the West, listening to and discussing classical music, and was an avid reader on many subjects – the great number of books he had amassed on the age of sail and naval history before he crossed over the bar attests to his passionate range of life-interests.
Pete is survived by his wife of close to 60 years, Nancy; sons Halsey Brewster “Bruce” Spruance (Alisha); Preston Lea “Trey” Spruance, III (Fernanda); brother William Halsey Spruance (Gretchen); sister Alice Spruance Talbot (Richmond); and grandson Jacob Logan Spruance. He was predeceased by his parents and sister, Margaret Grandy Spruance Denham.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Pete Spruance’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
OBITUARY: Carolyn Ann Moore Hunt, 1936-2024
LoCO Staff / Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 @ 6:56 a.m. / Obits
Carolyn Ann Moore Hunt passed away after a brief illness on September
23, 2024, at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka.
In Carolyn’s own words:
I was Born on June 11, 1936, in Redwood City, California and was the first child of Jack Eugene Moore and Evelyn Sarah (Lightbody) Moore. I was of the sixth generation to live in California, as my Moore ancestors arrived in Santa Cruz in 1847. My family left Menlo Park after WWII to spend six years in Centralia, Washington, when dad lived his life-time dream of opening a furniture store. By 1952 we were again in Menlo Park for nine months before moving to Arcata.
On my first day of class I met my life-long friend Karen Krestensen. I graduated from Arcata Union High School in 1954, and then attended Humboldt State College, majoring in their secretarial program, which was the norm for ladies at that time.
I met Richard Hunt on a blind date, and we married on Nov 11, 1956. Rich was from a pioneer Humboldt County ranching family, and I learned without delay to keep the ranch records, prepare meals for the help and become a mother of three sons, Dean and Dana (Lucas) Brian and Cindi (Anderson) and Scott and Sandi (Stafford).
In addition to my ranch duties, I was active in the Humboldt County Cowbelles/Cattlewomen, Humboldt Sponsors, Pacific Union School PTA. As an active member of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church since the late 1950s, I cannot even estimate the number of meals and coffee hours and altar guild duties I performed. My focus was my sons, six grandchildren, Jason (Jenna), Cory (Andreena), Chris (Kristina), Kendall (Stephanie), Tyler, and Alex (Shelby) and 10 great-grandchildren, the ranch and friends.
After dad died in 1973, I took an active part in managing and owning an interest in Baker and Stanton Furniture until it closed in 1996.
I loved playing bridge and was active from the time my boys were young. At one time I belonged to three bridge clubs. Historically, I had dreadful hands, but was convinced that being with longtime friends was worth the frustrations. Fifty-two pieces of card stock was not going to separate me from my friends!
I am grateful I was able to raise my sons as a “stay-at-home” mom! I am grateful for having my family close by so I could be a part of their lives. In addition, two of my sons and their wives live within walking distance of my home, supporting me in so many wonderful ways. Writing in my journal through the tough times and my faith has helped me see that I have lived a wonderful life!
The saddest day of our lives was the day our middle son, Brian, passed away at the age of 51. His personal and professional reputation resulted in one of the largest services in Humboldt County.
I was preceded in death by my parents, my husband Rich, my son Brian, sister-in-law Peggy Stebbins and her husband Laurald and Rich’s parents Esma and Vinal Hunt.
The family would like to thank her loving in-home caregivers who made it possible for her to remain in her home. We would also like to acknowledge the outstanding care she received at Providence St. Joseph Hospital.
Services to be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 11 a.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Arcata followed by a celebration of life for Carolyn and Rich from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Ingomar Club in Eureka.
Consider donating to St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Humboldt Sponsors, Humboldt County Cattlewomen or a charity of your choice.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Carolyn Hunt’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Eureka City Council Tables Decision on Police Surveillance Cameras, Citing Privacy Concerns
Isabella Vanderheiden / Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 @ 5:27 p.m. / Local Government
Screenshot of Tuesday’s Eureka Council meeting.
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How far should the Eureka Police Department take crime surveillance in the city?
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Eureka City Council weighed the pros and cons of a proposal from the Eureka Police Department to install 21 automated license plate-reading (ALPR) cameras along the city’s main thoroughfares. After an extensive conversation, the council ultimately voted to table its decision due to privacy concerns.
The technology, which would be provided by Flock Safety, collects license plate details for every car that passes and stores that information in a database that allows law enforcement agencies to compare license plate numbers against stolen vehicles or individuals wanted on criminal charges. ALPR does not use facial recognition technology and the data is deleted after 30 days.
EPD Police Chief Brian Stephens presented the draft ALPR policy – linked here – to the council on Tuesday and explained how community policing has changed since the turn of the century. “It’s not as easy to police as it was,” he said. “We can’t just put officers on the street … and expect that we’re going to get the results that we want or the results that we may have seen 20 years ago.”
That said, Stephens emphasized that EPD will “always need officers on the street,” but said Flock’s ALPR technology “truly has the capability to be a force multiplier” for the department.
“We will be able to locate vehicles associated with crimes committed in our region quicker,” he continued. “We can use this technology as an investigative tool to further investigations after a crime has been committed within our city, give our investigators quicker leads and reduce the time a suspect is potentially on the loose to victimize others in our community.”
EPD’s draft policy was modeled after the Vallejo Police Department’s ALPR policy and best practices issued by Lexipol, a Texas-based company that provides policy guidelines and training standards for law enforcement agencies across the country, Stephens said. The data collected through the ALPR program would be stored in a “secured cloud base” that would only be accessible by certain EPD staff.
“Remember, all the system is collecting is vehicle description and license plate, nothing else,” Stephens said. “[The data] is not owned by Flock, and Flock can’t access the data for their purposes. Only EPD can determine who has access to the data. Therefore, Flock Safety cannot sell or share this data with third parties, and this will be a part of our contract.”
Speaking via Zoom, Flock’s Community Affairs Manager Jonathan Paz said the company uses “end-to-end encryption,” a security method that prevents third parties from accessing data while it is being transferred from one system or device to another. “Let’s say the DMV is hacked – they’re not going to have access to our system,” Paz said. “We are end-to-end encrypted and manage our own system.”
Paz also shared a few success stories from the 400-plus law enforcement agencies that contract with Flock Safety. He recalled one instance in which ALPR technology helped local police officers track down three individuals who had brutally assaulted a man in the Bay Area. Investigators got hold of a possible license plate for the suspect vehicle, ran it through the Flock system and, about a month-and-a-half after the assault, were able to track down and arrest the suspects.
Paz also claimed that San Merino, a city in Los Angeles County, has seen a “70 percent decrease in residential burglaries” after increasing the number of ALPR cameras in the city.
“I can go on and on,” he said.
However, Flock’s success stories weren’t compelling enough to convince the city council, all of whom shared concerns about privacy and data sharing.
Councilmember Scott Bauer asked Paz to expand on the data protection measures Flock Safety employs and whether the company uses facial recognition technology.
“None of your personal data is actually being stored,” Paz said. “The only data that would actually be kept would be your vehicle fingerprint. … If there was a capture of a red Honda, the most data that would be shared that would be affiliated with you would be potentially your license plate, which is owned by the state, technically. So, not saying that there isn’t a concern there, but there is no personal information being stored within our systems.”
Councilmember Kati Moulton asked Paz several questions about data protection and the physical location of the company’s servers. Paz said the company’s IT department is based in Georgia but noted that they also partner with Amazon for data storage.
“So, if law enforcement in another state – or in our state or anywhere at all – got a warrant to ask Amazon for information from Eureka, circumventing the EPD… and your company itself and going directly after the storage that is now in a fourth party’s hands. … What’s to stop that from happening?” Moulton asked.
Paz seemed hesitant to speak to the hypothetical situation but said Flock Safety would honor its contract with the City of Eureka “regardless of whatever pending litigation is happening.”
“That data we consider to be yours, and we’re helping monitor and help preserve it,” he added. “But we have a contractual obligation to hard delete after 30 days.”
Councilmember Leslie Castellano asked about immigration law and whether the ALPR system would allow an out-of-state department to track an individual “for immigration reasons.”
The city’s draft policy “does not permit the sharing of ALPR data gathered by the city or its contractors/subcontractors for purpose of federal immigration enforcement,” in accordance with state law. Even if state law were to change, Stephens said the city’s policy would not be affected.
“I think the policy is clear that it won’t be used … to track anyone or to share information for immigration purposes,” he said. “If I’m the chief at that time, if something gets rolled back, it’s not going to change the reasons why we want and need the system. I still wouldn’t report that information for that purpose.”
Castellano also asked about the projected cost of the ALPR program and whether it would increase over time. Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery said the city is looking at a two-year agreement with Flock that would cost about $74,000 for installation and monitoring services in the first year and $60,000 in subsequent years.
“If it gets to the point where it can’t fit within our budget, or if it gets to the point at which it’s not within staff’s purview under the procurement policy – which is $100,000 – that purchase would have to come back to council,” Slattery added.
Castellano noted that the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office recently implemented its own ALPR program and asked if Eureka’s cameras would be redundant. Stephens said HCSO does not currently have cameras “near the ingress and egress points of the city.”
At one point in the discussion, Moulton suggested that the city’s Community Oversight on Police Practices (COPP) board and the City Attorney’s Office review the draft policy before the council makes a final decision on the matter. Her suggestion was echoed by the rest of the council.
City Attorney Autumn Luna said she felt it would be most appropriate for her office to address the legal issues brought up during the council’s discussion before sending the proposed policy over to the COPP board for review. Luna added that it would probably take a few months to “really flesh out” all of the issues raised at the meeting.
After a bit of additional discussion, the council voted 5-0 to table the discussion until the City Attorney’s Office and the city’s COPP board had a chance to review the ALPR policy.

