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August 14, 2026
Brentwood discusses controversial Flock cameras Local homeowner association receives pushback
Flock cameras are solar-powered license plate readers being used by law enforcement in 49 states. Brentwood residents have expressed concern over usage by private entities, such as homeowners associations.
By Jake Menez Staff Writer
The Brentwood City Council voted 4-0 during their Aug. 11 meeting to have a future discussion about whether the city would allow private entities to install Flock cameras. The discussion was brought up by Councilmember Jovita Mendoza in response to news that the Homeowners Association (HOA) in the Shadow Lakes subdivision had installed a number of the cameras. Mayor Susannah Meyer recused herself from the discussion because she lives there and is a member of the HOA but noted as she departed the chamber that she was not in favor of the cameras. “It is mass surveillance,” Mendoza said while pointing out that the neighborhood
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with the cameras is in close proximity to Heritage High School. “Knowing that Flock is testing facial recognition right now in dif-
ferent parts of the country, I would not want our children’s faces all over every single day they go to school.”
Flock is described as a “public safety technology that helps agencies locate missing people, recover stolen vehicles, and investigate crime more quickly by helping them search for evidence relevant to an authorized investigation” on its website. Founded in 2017, Flock Safety operates in 12,000 communities across 49 states, according to the company’s website. While the company touts its license plate reading technology as helping with more than 1 million investigations in 2025, they have been at the center of nationwide controversies in recent months with the technology allegedly being used to track and, in some cases, stalk individuals. The constitutionality of the cameras has also been called into question on the grounds that the Fourth Amendment protects those in the United States from unlawful searches. “The technology is testing the Fourth see Cameras page 26
Local cities get look Oakley City Council approves downtown rental pilot program at district Nov. 2 Panel also hears Tri Delta Transit and Aging Council updates
election candidates
Vintage Way
By Jake Menez
Dr
Staff Writer
Domaine Way
By Connor Robles
Chandon Way
Correspondent
Beringer Way
Delta Meadows Way
Photo courtesy of Google Maps
Oakley’s Vintage Way neighborhood has previously had issues related to short-term rentals, according to the City Council. warned of major changes to MediCal that will affect seniors. Downtown rental pilot program An unhosted stay is a shortterm rental in which the owner remains offsite while the renters
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see Oakley page 26
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With local district elections on Nov. 2, residents of Brentwood, Oakley and Antioch may soon see fresh faces vying for roles on their respective City Councils. The nomination periods – and the extended nomination period in Brentwood’s case – have now closed, giving voters a peek at the candidates looking to potentially take roles in city leadership. Antioch Antioch will hold elections for its City Council seats to represent District 1 and District 4, with the incumbents in both districts seeking reelection. The District 1 election will
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stay there, in contrast to the already-allowed hosted stays, where the owner must remain on-site while the renters stay. Previously,
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The Oakley City Council voted 4-0 to approve a year-long pilot program for unhosted stays and vacation rentals, such as Airbnbs, in downtown Oakley at their Aug. 11 meeting. Councilmember George Fuller was absent from the meeting. They also heard updates from Tri Delta Transit and the Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging. The former discussed service cuts due to decreased ridership, while the latter
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be between incumbent Tamisha Torres-Walker and resident Joyann Motts. Motts previously served on both the Antioch City Council as vice mayor and the president of the Antioch Unified School District Board of Trustees. The 2026 election will mark the third time Torres-Walker and Motts have competed for this seat, with Torres-Walker beating Motts in her 2020 reelection bid and defending her seat from Motts in 2022. The 2020 election had been for two-year terms as Antioch transitioned from citywide elections to district-based ones for City Council. Diane Gibson-Gray, a see Election page 26
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Absent city manager gets raise
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