El Cerrito is removing its Flock Safety license plate reader cameras after the City Council voted in May not to renew its contract with the company. The El Cerrito Police Department said the cameras stopped collecting images on June 6. Between Thursday and mid-August, the city’s 40 cameras will be removed, a process the department said it will monitor. The City Council voted against renewing the contract over concerns that the cameras invaded residents’ privacy and that federal agencies, including possible access by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, could use the data for immigration enforcement. Police Chief Paul Keith has said the cameras were an effective tool for tracking down criminals. NBC Bay Area’s Bob Redell has the full report in the video above. ...read more read less