Students at Cal Poly are pushing to get Flock cameras removed from the university’s campus.
According to Cal Poly, there are 10 automated license plate reader cameras and seven live video cameras, also known as Flock cameras, at the five different entrances to campus.
“I haven’t seen them, but I’ve definitely heard about them,” said Jose Droz, Cal Poly student.
Of the five or six students KSBY News spoke with on campus Friday, all said they want the Flock cameras removed.
“I just think that it’s not like really beneficial to the campus, and I think it’s a violation of like the students’ rights and privacy,” Droz said.
“I feel like it’s not really an issue really towards me, but I definitely think it affects other people, and obviously that’s not great, but I don’t know, it doesn’t really bother me, but I think like as a community it probably would be better if we got rid of them,” said Chloe Hartman, Cal Poly student.
This sentiment is why this week, the Cal Poly ASI Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution calling for the removal of the cameras from campus.
KSBY News reached out to the university to learn more about why the technology was installed.
A spokesperson said that the cameras are used to increase safety on campus and collect limited information from vehicles, like makes, models and license plate numbers. The spokesperson said the cameras do not use facial recognition and that authorized campus police are the only ones who have access to the information.
The cameras were installed in May 2025, as part of what Cal Poly called a comprehensive overhaul of security systems around campus.
“It kind of feels like a violation of student rights, and like I don’t think anyone was like us, or like we didn’t give permission to have those cameras,” Droz said.
While many students KSBY News spoke with shared concerns about not having a say in the cameras’ installation, the spokesperson said that a robust informational campaign was held in 2019. They say the campaign included meeting with the ASI board at the time, social media posts, campus emails, website postings, and more.
This weeks ASI resolution does not necessarily mean the cameras will be removed. In a May 22 statement to the Cal Poly Academic Senate, President Jeffrey Armstrong committed to re-evaluating the college’s relationship with Flock and assessing different vendors, saying hes committed to maintaining transparency throughout the process.