Articles & Evidence

News, research, FOIA documents, and analysis on Flock Safety.

Investigative May 20, 2026

After Town Bans Flock, Councilmember Crashes Out, Proposes Internet and Phone Ban

404 Media · Jason Koebler

After Bandera, Texas voted 3-2 to terminate its Flock contract following months of resident pushback, dissenting councilmember Jeff Flowers retaliated with a sarcastic proposal to ban all cell phones, GPS devices, internet services, and cameras within city limits. The 'Bandera Declaration of Digital Independence' became a viral example of how surveillance proponents respond to grassroots privacy organizing.

FOIA May 20, 2026

Area police share license plate reader data for immigration, unstated reasons, records show

Dayton Daily News · Cornelius Frolik

A Dayton Daily News investigation using public records from Kettering, Miami Township, Tipp City and others revealed law enforcement agencies routinely access Ohio Flock data for immigration and vague unstated purposes. Multiple agencies including Dayton PD denied records requests, claiming Flock audit data is confidential under exemption.

Legal May 20, 2026

House Republicans demand records from Denver, Boulder on ICE cooperation and Flock cameras

9News Denver · 9News Staff

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Jim Jordan, sent six letters on May 20 to Denver and Boulder law enforcement and district attorneys demanding ICE communications and immigration records, including an investigation into why Boulder Police disabled the national lookup feature on its Flock database in June 2025. The letters give agencies until June 3 to respond; Boulder DA Michael Dougherty called the inquiry 'political theater.'

Legal May 20, 2026

Martinsville Police decreasing number of Flock cameras

WDBJ7 · WDBJ7 Staff

Martinsville Police are reducing their Flock Safety camera deployment from 41 cameras down to 9 permanent cameras citywide—originally peaking above 80—after state grant funding from former AG Jason Miyares' Operation Ceasefire and Operation Bold Blue Line programs ended. Each Flock camera costs $3,000 per year. The reduction reflects a broader pattern of cities scaling back as outside funding evaporates.

Investigative May 19, 2026

Milwaukee Police Flock Camera Misuse: Second Officer Under Investigation

FOX6 Milwaukee · Christina Van Zelst

Milwaukee Police disclosed at a May 7, 2026 Fire and Police Commission meeting that a second sworn officer is under investigation for misusing the Flock license plate reader database. The investigation began March 9 and the officer is on full suspension. The probe follows former Officer Josue Ayala's February criminal charges for searching the Flock system 179 times to track an ex-girlfriend.

Investigative May 18, 2026

Flock Safety cameras help solve crimes. But who's watching the watchers?

InvestigateTV · Brendan Keefe

A national investigation into Flock Safety oversight gaps centered on Chrisanna Elser, a Colorado woman wrongfully charged with package theft based on misread Flock data; the case was dropped only after she gathered exculpatory video herself. The reporting documents audit-log loopholes, including one Georgia city's $5 million annual audit cost barrier, illustrating how the technology's 'immutable' audit promises break down in practice.

Op-Ed May 17, 2026

VIEWPOINT: Flock safety quietly moves its guardrails while South Dakotans lose

The Dakota Scout · Andrew Konechne

A Brookings resident details how original Flock contract terms guaranteed 30-day data retention, no sales of data, and that the city would own 100 percent of the data. The piece argues those commitments have been quietly moved without adequate notice, leaving South Dakota residents with weaker protections than they were promised.

Investigative May 17, 2026

AI license plate cameras tore this town apart and led to a state of emergency

The Washington Post · The Washington Post Staff

Troy, NY Mayor Carmella Mantello declared a state of emergency to keep Flock Safety cameras operational after the city council defunded the $156,000 contract it argued was never legally authorized. The dispute escalated to litigation, with the council suing to overturn the mayor's declaration in a precedent-setting fight over executive authority and police surveillance procurement.

FOIA May 15, 2026

Inside the Belly of The Beast — The Link Between Flock Safety, Dunwoody, and Attorney General Chris Carr

Jason Hunyar (Substack) · Jason Hunyar

Through open records requests filed via MuckRock, Hunyar documents communications showing Georgia AG Chris Carr's office coordinating with Flock Safety, including filing amicus briefs and pressuring Dunwoody officials behind the scenes. The investigation traces a possible pay-to-play link between Flock's $25,000 donation to the Republican Attorneys General Association and subsequent legal support.

Investigative May 15, 2026

Flock loses another Wisconsin contract as AI surveillance backlash spreads

Wisconsin Watch · Pascal Sabino

After Dane County's 32-1 vote to defund Flock, Wisconsin cities including Monona, Oshkosh, and Appleton have rapidly followed suit. ACLU of Wisconsin warns that without Community Control Over Police Surveillance ordinances, communities risk 'playing Whack-A-Mole' as police departments switch to alternative vendors like Motorola while preserving the same surveillance infrastructure.

FOIA May 14, 2026

City and Flock Manipulate Security Scores

IPVM · IPVM Team

Internal emails obtained through open records requests show Dunwoody's Technology Director asked Flock's salesperson to 'help bring the score up' on a security assessment presented to city council. The scoring rubric was rewritten before the public presentation with a favorable new tier inserted and definitions softened, with the entire assessment relying on Flock's self-reported answers.

Legal May 13, 2026

Council terminates Flock contract in 3-2 vote

Bandera Bulletin · Bandera Bulletin Staff

The Bandera City Council voted 3-2 on May 12, 2026 to terminate the city's contract with Flock Safety, ending a months-long battle over a state-grant-funded plan to install eight ALPR cameras in the small Texas town. Residents had repeatedly protested at meetings, and camera poles were reportedly vandalized or cut down multiple times. After the vote, dissenting councilman Jeff Flowers proposed banning all cellphones, internet, and cameras citywide in retaliation.

Op-Ed May 13, 2026

The Wheel: Flock Cameras are Watching Us

The Wheel · Mark Steger

Steger criticizes Richardson, TX Mayor Pro Tem Ken Hutchenrider for enthusiastically endorsing Flock without addressing serious privacy concerns. He cites investigations revealing unauthorized employee access to camera feeds at sensitive locations including gymnasiums and pools.

FOIA May 13, 2026

Shaker Heights changes Flock camera policy after probe finds hundreds of outside immigration searches

News 5 Cleveland · Drew Scofield, Tara Morgan, Mark Ackerman

A News 5 Cleveland investigation of Shaker Heights Flock audit logs revealed 282 immigration-related searches by outside agencies over four months, with 187 in January alone. Shaker Heights data was searched 693,573 times by external agencies versus just 1,016 times by local police, prompting the city to ban immigration-related queries—though activists called the keyword-only ban inadequate.

Op-Ed May 13, 2026

Why My Texas Town Took Action Against Flock Cameras

The Texas Observer · Amanda Rodriguez

San Marcos City Council member Amanda Rodriguez explains why she led the push to end the city's Flock contract, citing surveillance overreach including misuse for immigration enforcement and protest monitoring. The piece offers a playbook for other local officials to reframe public safety without surveillance infrastructure.

Research May 13, 2026

Police audit finds no evidence of misuse by Thornton officer who ran more than 10,000 Flock searches

9News Denver · 9News Staff

Thornton Police Department's internal audit cleared an officer who ran nearly 20,000 Flock searches over two years, finding no misuse—but oversight group Thornton for All criticized the audit for failing to address the lack of documentation tied to many searches. The case illustrates the limits of agency self-audits as a check on ALPR abuse when audit-log entries lack case numbers or specific reasons.

Investigative May 8, 2026

Alleged Victim Speaks Out After Former Coffee County Deputy Accused of Tracking Her Released on Bond

WALB News · Taylor Lewis

The anonymous victim of former Coffee County Deputy Chris Rozar's alleged stalking spoke publicly after Rozar's release on bond, urging others to 'report abuse, even with the risk of not being believed.' Court records show Rozar used the Flock system, tag reader, and GCIC database between April and May 2024 to track and surveil her across multiple Coffee County locations.

Investigative May 8, 2026

Berkeley Extends Surveillance Contract With Flock Safety but Rejects Major Expansion

KQED · Katie DeBenedetti

Berkeley's City Council voted to extend Flock's existing ALPR contract for 12 months but rejected a $1.4 million expansion that would have added drones, PTZ cameras, the NOVA investigative platform, and private camera integration. The vote followed a leaked city attorney memo warning that Berkeley risked $30-60 million in liability and Fourth Amendment lawsuits under California's data-sharing law.

Investigative May 8, 2026

Milwaukee Police Investigating Second Former Officer for Alleged Misuse of License Plate Reader Database

TMJ4 · TMJ4 Lighthouse Team

A second Milwaukee Police Department officer who has since left the department is under investigation for misusing the Flock automated license plate reader database after an audit flagged concerning activity. MPD operates 31 Flock cameras across Milwaukee. Critics say the case deepens distrust in a surveillance system that has now produced two confirmed misuse incidents in three months.

FOIA May 8, 2026

Activists worried Flock camera concerns coming to fruition

Spectrum News 1 Ohio · Kimberly Perez

A FOIA request by activist group Shake Off Flock revealed Shaker Heights' ALPR data was accessed nearly 700,000 times in four months, with roughly 300 searches related to immigration enforcement. Activists are pushing for full removal of the cameras, arguing new policy restrictions are insufficient.

Op-Ed May 7, 2026

License Plate Readers Built To Watch Drivers Couldn't Spot The Officers Watching Their Exes

Carscoops · Stephen Rivers

Carscoops analyzes the Institute for Justice's findings on widespread ALPR abuse and highlights a critical accountability gap: losing employment does not automatically revoke police certification in most states, meaning terminated officers can often seek positions elsewhere. The piece argues the pattern contradicts the 'nothing to hide' defense of mass surveillance.

Legal May 7, 2026

New Conn. law bars LE from sharing LPR data for immigration enforcement

Police1 · Ella Napack

Governor Ned Lamont signed Connecticut HB 5449 on May 5, 2026, establishing the state's first comprehensive ALPR law. The act limits data retention, prohibits sharing license plate data with out-of-state agencies for immigration, reproductive, or gender-affirming care investigations, restricts data sharing to MA/NY/RI on reciprocal terms, requires usage reporting, and grants the Attorney General enforcement authority. The legislation followed a CT Insider investigation showing Connecticut Flock data being queried thousands of times by out-of-state agencies for 'ICE' and 'immigration' purposes.

Op-Ed May 7, 2026

To The Surprise Of No One, Cops Are Using ALPR Cameras To Stalk Their Exes

Techdirt · Tim Cushing

Techdirt argues the IJ report confirms what civil-liberties advocates predicted: powerful surveillance technology in the hands of police will inevitably be turned against women—current partners, exes, and strangers—and only a fraction of abusers are caught by internal oversight. Private firms like Flock Safety are accelerating the access without commensurate safeguards.

Op-Ed May 6, 2026

Opinion: Berkeley does not need Flock surveillance tech to stay safe

Berkeleyside · Josh Cayetano, Leah Wilson

The chair and vice chair of Berkeley's Police Accountability Board argue the council faces 'the largest expansion of police surveillance technology in Berkeley's history' via a vendor more than 75 jurisdictions have deemed untrustworthy. They cite Flock's facilitation of ICE data-sharing and its failure to meet Berkeley's data privacy standards.

Legal May 6, 2026

Leaked memo: Flock may not be able to follow through on Berkeley's surveillance data security demands, city attorneys say

Berkeleyside · Alex N. Gecan

A confidential city attorney memo leaked on the eve of Berkeley's Flock vote warned that the city could face $2,500-per-image penalties totaling $30-60 million if data leaked, and could be sued under the Fourth Amendment 'simply for using Flock's products, even if no data is shared.' Attorneys conceded that even if Flock agreed to security demands, 'we cannot ensure Flock will abide by its contractual obligations.'

Legal May 6, 2026

LAPD sued over Flock Safety license plate cameras

FOX 11 Los Angeles · FOX 11 Digital Team

The Stop LAPD Spying Coalition sued the Los Angeles Police Department to force release of records on its seven-year partnership with Flock Safety, alleging the department concealed contracts and produced only one expired 2025 MOU. The coalition argues LAPD-Flock collaboration enables surveillance used to 'criminalize immigrants, sex workers, and protesters' ahead of a major MOU expiring in July.

Op-Ed May 5, 2026

Op-ed: Berkeley officials make the case for Flock, as vote nears

The Berkeley Scanner · Shoshana O'Keefe, Mark Humbert, Rashi Kesarwani, Terry Taplin

Four Berkeley City Council members co-authored a defense of the city's contract renewal and expansion with Flock, citing 52 ALPR-led arrests in 2025 for burglaries, robberies, sexual assault, and homicide. They argued data-sharing settings remain under police control with contract safeguards on federal access.

Op-Ed May 5, 2026

Opinion: Flock camera surveillance is Big Brother come to life

The Cap Times · Natalie Eilbert

Cap Times opinion editor Natalie Eilbert draws on Orwell's 1984 to examine Flock cameras deployed across Dane County without adequate public oversight. The column endorses Dane County's decision to end its Flock contract and warns of unauthorized data access by outside agencies.

Investigative May 5, 2026

Former Coffee County Deputy Arrested on Stalking and Flock Camera Misuse Charges

WALB News · Tristin Clements

Former Coffee County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Ashley Rozar, 49, was arrested May 5, 2026, on an eight-count indictment after a multi-year GBI investigation found he used the Flock camera system, tag reader, and Georgia Crime Information Center to stalk a woman he was romantically interested in. Charges include four counts of Violation of Oath, two counts of Computer Invasion of Privacy, Prohibited Use of Captured License Plate Data, and Stalking.

Investigative May 5, 2026

Former Niceville Cop Pleads No Contest in Flock Stalking Case

Mid Bay News · Christopher Saul

Former Niceville Police Officer Coty Wayne Hall pleaded no contest on April 20, 2026, to four reduced misdemeanor counts of unauthorized computer access after using Flock cameras to track another officer and harass that officer's spouse. He received 11.29 months of probation, a permanent no-contact order, 100 hours of community service, and a withheld adjudication. Hall was fired by Niceville PD following his October 2025 arrest.

Investigative May 2, 2026

Not a One-Off: More Coloradans Stopped by Police After Data Errors Triggered Flock Alerts

9News Denver · Jeremy Jojola

A follow-up investigation found a 76-year-old grandmother, Sarah Judson, has been repeatedly pulled over because Colorado Springs Police entered two versions of a stolen-vehicle plate into the database—one with the letter O and one with the numeral zero—and her valid plate matched the second. Another driver, Katie Rothman, was stopped after Aurora Police entered her plate instead of the actual stolen vehicle's plate. CSPD admitted '100% human error.'

Legal May 1, 2026

Austin adopts stricter oversight of city surveillance technology use

Community Impact · Community Impact Staff

Austin City Council enacted the Transparent and Responsible Use of Surveillance Technology (TRUST) Act in April 2026, requiring city departments to obtain council approval before deploying new surveillance tech, publish detailed civil-liberties impact reports four weeks before purchase, and disclose data collection, storage, and sharing practices. The ordinance covers drones, ALPRs, and camera systems, and follows the June 2025 decision to end Austin's contract with Flock Safety.

Legal May 1, 2026

Dayton suspends automated license plate readers after 'egregious' data sharing violations

WYSO Public Radio · Nick Hrkman

The Dayton Police Department indefinitely suspended its fixed ALPR program after an internal review found 7,100 search requests citing immigration-related purposes had been made against city data despite policy prohibitions. City Manager Shelley Dickstein called the failures 'egregious violations of policy' and Mayor Shenise Turner-Sloss agreed with public calls to disband the program entirely. The city is hiring an independent firm to audit the full Flock program.

Legal May 1, 2026

New Lawsuit: Do We Have a Right to Know We're Being Surveilled?

Drop Site News · Jessica Burbank

The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a precedent-setting suit against the Village of Scarsdale on behalf of resident Josh Frankel after the village denied his FOIL request for planned Flock camera locations. The village argues camera locations are 'deliberative' police strategy; NYCLU counters they are factual records. The case could determine whether the public has access to government surveillance camera locations under New York public records law.

Legal May 1, 2026

South Carolinians Ask State Appeals Court to Reinstate Automated License Plate Reader Lawsuit

The Policing Project at NYU Law · Policing Project Staff

Plaintiffs in SCPIF v. SLED filed an appeal in the South Carolina Court of Appeals seeking reinstatement of their lawsuit challenging the State Law Enforcement Division's unauthorized ALPR program. The appellants argue SLED lacks legislative authorization to capture and store 100 million+ time- and location-stamped vehicle photos annually in a searchable database accessible by 70+ law enforcement agencies. A lower court granted SLED summary judgment in May 2025.

Legal May 1, 2026

Lawsuit filed against Mayor of Troy over Flock Camera Emergency Declaration

CBS6 Albany · CBS6 Albany News Staff

Troy's Democratic City Council and city auditor sued Republican Mayor Carmella Mantello, arguing she abused her emergency powers by declaring a public safety emergency on April 1 to fund Flock cameras after council members voted to table contract approval. The suit seeks to nullify her $78,000 unauthorized payment to Flock and invalidate the contract renewal. Council President Sue Steele warned unchecked declarations would give future mayors unilateral authority over council policy disputes.

Investigative Apr 30, 2026

City Learns Flock Accessed Cameras in Children's Gymnastics Room as a Sales Pitch Demo, Renews Contract Anyway

404 Media · Jason Koebler

Public records revealed Flock sales employees accessed sensitive Dunwoody cameras—including a children's gymnastics room, a school, a Jewish Community Center pool, and a playground—to demo the system to other police departments. Despite the disclosure, Dunwoody's city council renewed the contract; Flock pledged to limit future demos to 'more public locations, like retail parking lots.'

Legal Apr 30, 2026

Open Records Laws Reveal ALPRs' Sprawling Surveillance. Now States Want to Block What the Public Sees.

Electronic Frontier Foundation · Beryl Lipton, Aaron Mackey, Adam Schwartz

EFF analyzes how Connecticut, Arizona, Washington, Illinois, Georgia, Maryland, and Oklahoma have enacted or proposed laws blocking public access to ALPR data, undermining the transparency that has enabled journalists and advocates to expose racist policing, surveillance of protesters, and system misuse. The report argues wholesale exemptions are counterproductive and proposes balanced approaches using existing privacy carveouts that preserve accountability.

Investigative Apr 30, 2026

RPD Discloses Sergeant Violated Flock Camera Policy by Sharing Info with Federal Agent

The Richmonder · Graham Moomaw

A Richmond Police Department audit found that a sergeant violated department policy by sharing Flock camera vehicle data with an FBI agent investigating a Washington, D.C. homicide. Richmond policy prohibits sharing ALPR data with federal partners or agencies outside Virginia. The sergeant lost Flock access and the Commonwealth's Attorney declined prosecution. RPD operates roughly 100 Flock cameras.

Op-Ed Apr 30, 2026

Brown: With Flock cameras, you're never alone on Minnesota roads

Minnesota Star Tribune · Aaron Brown

Star Tribune columnist Aaron Brown argues Minnesota's expanding Flock network turns every drive into a surveilled event. The piece prompted a sheriff-authored counterpoint and helped fuel ongoing Twin Cities suburb withdrawals from Flock contracts.

FOIA Apr 29, 2026

Scoop: San Diego police quietly signed new Flock tech deal

Axios San Diego · Kate Murphy

A public records request obtained by Axios revealed San Diego PD quietly signed a one-year Flock Nova pilot in December, claiming the analysis platform was exempt from the city's public oversight process. Privacy advocates called the move a technical loophole that circumvented community input, with annual costs projected at $230,000 after year one.

FOIA Apr 28, 2026

Central Ohio police departments have spent nearly $2 million on Flock license plate cameras

WOSU Public Media · Katie Geniusz

WOSU filed public records requests with 15 central Ohio police departments confirming contracts for 305 Flock ALPR cameras totaling nearly $2 million across Franklin County. DeFlock has independently mapped roughly 500 cameras in the same county, raising concerns about data ownership and federal agency access.

Research Apr 27, 2026

Police Have Reportedly Used License Plate Readers to Stalk Romantic Interests at Least 16 Times in Recent Years

Institute for Justice · Daryl James

An Institute for Justice review documented at least 16 cases of officers nationwide allegedly abusing ALPR data to stalk romantic interests, current partners, exes, or strangers, with most cases concentrated since 2024. Only a handful of cases surfaced via internal audits—most came to light because victims reported the behavior themselves, raising fundamental questions about whether ALPR systems can be policed from within.

FOIA Apr 26, 2026

Sedro-Woolley, Stanwood still required to turn over Flock camera images

Cascadia Daily News · Isaac Stone Simonelli

A Skagit Superior Court judge ruled Sedro-Woolley and Stanwood must fulfill a public records request for ALPR images despite Washington's new Driver Privacy Act exempting such data. The ruling held that the new law does not retroactively nullify existing records requests filed before its enactment.

Investigative Apr 24, 2026

Former Braselton Police Chief Michael Steffman Found Dead Following Flock Stalking Charges

FOX 5 Atlanta · Christopher King

Former Braselton Police Chief Michael Steffman, 49, was found dead at his Georgia home on April 24, 2026, with GBI sources indicating suicide. Steffman had retired in November 2025 just hours before being arrested on charges of stalking, harassing communications, violation of oath of office, and six counts of illegal use of license plate reader data. The case had become one of the most high-profile examples of Flock misuse by a senior law enforcement official.

Investigative Apr 23, 2026

He Didn't Commit a Crime, but Flock Cam Alerts Keep Getting Him Pulled Over

9News Denver · Jeremy Jojola

Kyle Dausman, a Colorado man with no warrants, has been repeatedly pulled over by police after Flock cameras flagged his truck as associated with an active warrant. The issue traces to a Gilpin County data-entry error involving Colorado license plates that use both the letter O and the numeral zero. Dausman cannot get his plate removed from the statewide hotlist and now fears driving with family members in the vehicle.

Legal Apr 23, 2026

A New Oregon Law Regulates Police Use of License Plate Readers. Here's How It Works

Portland Tribune · Portland Tribune Staff

Governor Tina Kotek signed Oregon SB 1516 on March 31, 2026 with an emergency clause making it immediately effective. The law caps ALPR data retention at 30 days, bars vendors from selling or disclosing plate data, requires monthly audits published within two days, mandates visual plate confirmation before stops, and authorizes private civil actions against vendors for misuse.

Legal Apr 22, 2026

Iowa House Approves Bill Adding Restrictions on Automated License Plate Reading Cameras

KWQC · KWQC Staff

The Iowa House approved SF 2284 in April 2026, requiring ALPR systems to be authorized by city or county ordinance, approved by a state agency, and barred from facial-recognition use. The bill requires deletion of images after 30 days absent an active investigation and mandates officers document reasons for each search, though ACLU of Iowa and critics say it fails to regulate private vendors like Flock.

Investigative Apr 22, 2026

Oshkosh Council Rescinds Flock Camera Contract After 'False Statements'

WBAY · Drew Best

Oshkosh's Common Council voted 7-0 to rescind its Flock contract one day after approving renewal, after Police Chief Dean Smith determined Flock representatives had falsely denied the system creates vehicle heat maps. Deputy Mayor Karl Buelow apologized publicly, and Flock dismissed the reversal as reaction to 'one small misconception.'

Investigative Apr 21, 2026

Menasha PD Hired a Wandering Officer. Now He's Been Arrested and the City Could Get Sued.

The Badger Project · Annie Pulley

A deep investigation reveals Menasha Police hired Cristian Morales just eight months after Outagamie County Sheriff's Department forced him out for 'unacceptable progress,' citing dangerous traffic stops. Morales was arrested in January 2026 for using Flock to stalk his ex-girlfriend's vehicles and now faces felony misconduct charges. The Badger Project frames the case within research on 'wandering officers' and explores the city's potential civil liability.

Legal Apr 21, 2026

A Colorado Bill Takes Aim at Flock Cameras, Police Surveillance Technology. Here's What's in It.

The Colorado Sun · Olivia Prentzel

Colorado's bipartisan SB 70, sponsored by Sen. Judy Amabile (D) and Sen. Lynda Zamora Wilson (R), would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant to query ALPR databases more than 72 hours after a crime, cap retention at 30 days, and bar sharing with outside jurisdictions. The bill advanced to Senate Appropriations in April after five hours of testimony from roughly 70 speakers.

Legal Apr 21, 2026

EPIC Files Amicus Brief Arguing City's Use of Flock ALPRs Violated Fourth Amendment

Electronic Privacy Information Center · EPIC Staff

EPIC filed an amicus brief on April 20, 2026 in Schmidt v. City of Norfolk supporting plaintiff-appellants who challenged Norfolk's warrantless mass surveillance program. EPIC's brief argues ALPRs collect sensitive location data on people not suspected of any crime, aggregating it into searchable databases that capture vehicles, owners, drivers, associates, phone numbers, and criminal histories—creating a Fourth Amendment violation.

Legal Apr 21, 2026

NCLA Asks Fourth Circuit to Stop Norfolk's Unlawful Searches Via License Plate Tracking

New Civil Liberties Alliance · New Civil Liberties Alliance

The New Civil Liberties Alliance filed an amicus brief in Schmidt v. City of Norfolk at the Fourth Circuit, arguing the district court misread Carpenter v. United States when it upheld Norfolk's warrantless Flock ALPR system. NCLA contends the city's indiscriminate collection of time- and date-stamped data on every driver enables reconstruction of private life patterns in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Investigative Apr 21, 2026

Harrisonburg Community Members Rally Against Flock Safety Cameras

WHSV · WHSV Staff

Hundreds packed Harrisonburg's Community Mennonite Church for a DeFlock Harrisonburg info session featuring Justice Forward Virginia's Rob Poggenklass and CNU criminologist Steven Keener, whose research shows Flock cameras cluster disproportionately in Black and lower-income neighborhoods. Over 800 residents have signed a petition to end the city's contract.

Investigative Apr 21, 2026

Tompkins County Votes to End Use of Automatic License Plate Readers

WSKG · Aurora Berry

Tompkins County legislators voted 12-1 at a special meeting to terminate the sheriff office's Flock contract by May 31, citing a loss of confidence in the vendor and misalignment with county values. The sheriff is pivoting to mobile speed-enforcement trailers and has resubmitted grant funding excluding Flock.

Legal Apr 20, 2026

Schmidt v. Norfolk: ACLU and EFF File Fourth Circuit Amicus Brief

ACLU · ACLU, ACLU of Virginia, EFF Legal Teams

The ACLU, ACLU of Virginia, and EFF jointly filed an amicus brief in the Fourth Circuit on April 20, 2026 challenging Norfolk's use of Flock ALPRs. The brief argues the district court erred by ruling that Norfolk's 176-camera network was insufficient to track 'the whole' of a person's movements, and that warrantless mass surveillance violates the Fourth Amendment under Carpenter.

Legal Apr 20, 2026

Schmidt v. City of Norfolk Brief: Automated License Plate Readers Commit Fourth Amendment Searches

Cato Institute · Cato Legal Team

The Cato Institute filed an amicus brief urging the Fourth Circuit to reverse the district court's Schmidt v. Norfolk ruling. Cato argues that even publicly-collected data offers an 'intimate window' into people's lives, and warns that if the reasoning stands, governments nationwide will be free to collect, store, and analyze large-scale location data without warrants, oversight, or individualized suspicion.

FOIA Apr 20, 2026

Closing the Blinds: New Public Records Act Exemption Limits Disclosure of ALPR Data

MRSC Insight · Sarah Doar

Legal analysis of Washington's SB 6002, the Driver Privacy Act that took effect March 30, 2026, which creates a new Public Records Act exemption for ALPR data. Doar notes the exemption likely applies retroactively to pending requests and covers photos, location, and speed data, while pointing out that Washington courts construe records exemptions narrowly, leaving room to dispute whether officer narratives referencing ALPR hits remain disclosable.

Legal Apr 20, 2026

Photos from License Plate Camera Didn't Violate Fourth Amendment

Virginia Lawyers Weekly · Virginia Lawyers Weekly Staff

The Virginia Court of Appeals in Robinson v. Commonwealth rejected a defendant's motion to suppress evidence obtained from Norfolk's Flock ALPR cameras, holding he had no reasonable expectation of privacy in his vehicle on public streets. The court distinguished Norfolk's 172-camera, 30-day retention system from the continuous tracking scrutinized in Carpenter v. United States, ruling no warrant is needed to query Flock databases.

Investigative Apr 20, 2026

Dane County Pulls Funding for Flock License Plate Cameras

Wisconsin Public Radio · Sarah Lehr

The Dane County Board of Supervisors voted 32-1 to strip $80,000 from the sheriff's budget earmarked for the 24-camera Flock network, ending the program May 31. Supervisors cited informal data-sharing with federal agencies and 140+ out-of-state agency accesses; Supervisor Chad Kemp voiced 'severe concerns about the ethics of this company.'

Research Apr 19, 2026

Equity Research: Flock Safety (Updated 04/19/2026)

Sacra · Jan-Erik Asplund

Sacra's updated equity research report on Flock Safety values the company at $8.4 billion as of April 2026, following authorization of roughly $200M in new shares at a per-share price about 6% above the spring 2025 round. The report tracks Flock's revenue trajectory (surpassing $300M ARR), expansion into AI-powered surveillance, and the policy and litigation headwinds that have elevated controversy around data use and governance.

Investigative Apr 17, 2026

'Communities Are Watching': Atlanta Metro Area Residents Increasingly Concerned About Flock

Atlanta Press Collective · Timothy Pratt

Pratt profiles grassroots resistance forming across Dunwoody, Marietta, Sandy Springs, and Emory, where resident researcher Jason Hunyar's public-records digging surfaced Flock employees logged into cameras watching children at a pool. The piece contextualizes local opposition within DeFlock's 50+ nationwide contract cancellations.

FOIA Apr 17, 2026

Flock Dodges Dunwoody Question with Demo Defense

Footnote4a · H.C. van Pelt

An analysis of Flock's belated response to the Dunwoody access controversy, in which event logs obtained via records requests showed one Flock VP accessed cameras 185 times and that the private JCC network was shared with 1,271 agencies. The piece argues Flock's 'we were just doing demos' explanation actually confirms a deeper architectural problem: no separation between production surveillance data and sales environments, with AI filters as the only guardrail.

Op-Ed Apr 17, 2026

Understanding the Rise in ALPRs on Roads and Highways

Indianapolis Monthly · Sam Stall

A feature examining Indiana's unregulated ALPR boom, with Eyes Off Indiana mapping over 2,100 cameras and activists estimating 5,000–6,000 statewide. The piece catalogues documented abuses used to justify guardrails: a Kansas officer tracking his estranged wife, a Georgia officer taking bribes for plate searches, and an Ohio officer monitoring his ex-girlfriend — all while Indiana's legislature has passed no ALPR-specific statute.

Investigative Apr 17, 2026

Flock Safety hits $8.4B valuation as AI-powered police tech sparks nationwide protests

Tech Startups · Tech Startups Staff

Flock Safety closed a funding round at an $8.4 billion valuation—up from $7.5 billion in March 2025—even as nationwide protests targeted its Atlanta HQ and campus deployments. The piece highlights the disconnect between investor enthusiasm and growing political backlash threatening contracts and partnerships.

Op-Ed Apr 16, 2026

Municipalities: Beware of Changes in Flock's Legal Terms if You're Using or Considering License Plate Readers

ACLU · Jay Stanley

ACLU senior policy analyst Jay Stanley dissects four significant changes Flock made to its standard terms and conditions in the seven months leading up to its February 2026 contract version. The company quietly removed a flat prohibition on selling customer data, claimed exclusive control over how customers access their own data, gave itself perpetual rights to use customer data even after contract termination, and mandated arbitration under Georgia law.

Legal Apr 16, 2026

San Jose's 'Creepy' and 'Deeply Intrusive' ALPR Camera System Is Unconstitutional, a New Lawsuit Says

Reason · Joe Lancaster

Reason's coverage of the Institute for Justice San Jose lawsuit details how more than 1,000 SJPD employees can query Flock data with no warrant or probable cause, and how the system allows vehicle fingerprinting, journey mapping, and pattern-of-life analysis. The article frames San Jose's 474-camera network as a paradigm case for why warrantless ALPR dragnets violate the Fourth Amendment.

Op-Ed Apr 16, 2026

Flock Safety: The Surveillance Network in Your Neighborhood

Off Air with Attorney Ron Chapman · Ronald W. Chapman II

A federal defense attorney's analysis of Flock's ALPR network through the lens of Carpenter v. United States and United States v. Jones, arguing the aggregation of 90,000 cameras scanning 20 billion vehicles monthly conflicts with settled Supreme Court precedent on long-term tracking. Chapman warns that funneling this dataset through aggregators like Palantir builds the architecture of mass societal control rather than public safety.

FOIA Apr 16, 2026

In Virginia, Public Information Has a Price

WHRO / Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism · Daniel Berti

A follow-up VCIJ investigation found that Virginia agencies charged from $0 to $73,000 for Flock audit log records, with the James City County Sheriff's Office quoting over $73,000 at $22 per hour for roughly 3,300 hours of staff time. The reporting illustrates how prohibitive FOIA fees are blocking public oversight of ALPR use despite the state's new transparency requirements.

Investigative Apr 15, 2026

City of Bloomington Ends Flock Contract, Data Sharing with Indiana Law Enforcement

Indiana Daily Student · Grace Fridy

Mayor Kerry Thomson announced Bloomington would not renew its expired Flock contract after a months-long review prompted by a unanimous council oversight resolution. Council Vice President Sydney Zulich credited public activism, calling the decision 'a product of your activism, and... a major win for our city.'

Legal Apr 15, 2026

Three San Jose Residents File Federal Class Action Lawsuit Over City's Mass Surveillance of Drivers

Institute for Justice · Institute for Justice

The Institute for Justice filed a federal class action in the Northern District of California on behalf of three San Jose residents challenging the city's 474-camera Flock ALPR network as an unreasonable warrantless search. The complaint cites audit records showing SJPD's Flock database was searched nearly 2.5 million times in late 2025 with no warrant, probable cause, or supervisor approval, and seeks deletion of images within 24 hours absent a warrant.

Investigative Apr 14, 2026

Ex-Costa Mesa Police Officer Accused of Using Flock Cameras to Track His Mistress

CBS News Los Angeles · Matthew Rodriguez

Former Costa Mesa Police Officer Robert Jay Josett, 35, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors after admitting he used Flock license plate readers and CLETS to track his former mistress, her new boyfriends, and his own wife. Josett sent thousands of harassing texts, including up to 58 in a single day, and continued accessing Flock even after being placed on leave. He received three years probation and faces POST decertification review.

Investigative Apr 14, 2026

Students Speak at Williamsburg City Council Meeting, Advocate Against Local Use of Flock Surveillance Cameras

The Flat Hat · The Flat Hat Staff

William & Mary students testified at the April 9 Williamsburg City Council meeting alongside the Virginia Organizing Williamsburg Chapter, which presented 500+ pledge cards opposing Flock's 32-camera network. Organizers cited that over 60% of Williamsburg homes are crossed by Flock camera paths en route to schools, hospitals, or grocery stores.

Investigative Apr 13, 2026

DeFlock Emory Coalition Demands University Remove Flock License-Plate Cameras

Atlanta Civic Circle · Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon

A coalition of 10+ Emory University student and faculty groups delivered a nearly 1,000-signature petition demanding removal of 10 Flock cameras from campus, including Emory Hospital grounds. Organizers warned the university 'should NOT be functioning as a node in the national surveillance dragnet,' citing ICE misuse risks.

Investigative Apr 13, 2026

Ethics Complaint Alleges Thornton Officer Ran Over 19K Searches on License Plate Cameras

KDVR · KDVR Digital Staff

An ethics complaint filed by resident Jacob Wilson and advocacy group Thornton For All alleges Thornton Police Officer Dillon McTague ran 19,194 Flock license plate searches between October 2023 and December 2025, with fewer than 1% tied to case numbers. The complaint flags a conflict of interest with the department's PIO (his wife) that may have shielded oversight; the department has since expanded its weekly-audit process.

Legal Apr 9, 2026

Urbandale, Iowa Limits Access to License Plate Reader Data

Axios Des Moines · Linh Ta

Urbandale's City Council unanimously approved an amended Flock contract barring the company from disclosing camera data to third parties, including federal agencies like ICE, without the city's prior written consent. ACLU of Iowa policy director Pete McRoberts called the changes 'too little, too late,' arguing cities should cancel Flock contracts outright.

Investigative Apr 6, 2026

Court Records Reveal Fired Detective Stalked Wife with License Plate Readers, Possessed Child Porn

KCTV5 · Sarah Motter

Newly released court records detail how former Bonner Springs Detective Kyle Rector, 39, used Flock license plate readers, hidden cameras, and remote-access spyware to stalk his estranged wife and two men he suspected she was dating. Investigators also discovered child sexual abuse material on his devices. Rector faces 18 charges including five counts of sexual exploitation of a child, stalking, and official misconduct.

FOIA Apr 6, 2026

Data Update: Dunwoody GA (April 2026)

Have I Been Flocked? · Have I Been Flocked? Team

Release of 3.2 million Dunwoody PD network audit searches obtained via Georgia open records requests, covering January through late March 2026. The records show Houston PD alone accounting for 155,782 queries against Dunwoody's cameras and 1,900 AI-powered 'freeform' searches using natural-language vehicle descriptions, but lack any reason field, rendering individual searches unauditable by purpose.

Op-Ed Apr 6, 2026

Police Surveillance Cameras Offer a False Choice Between Public Safety and Privacy

Rhode Island Current · Rhode Island Current Staff

An opinion piece rejecting the framing that communities must choose between ALPR-powered policing and privacy, arguing that legitimate public-safety objectives can be met with strong retention limits, warrant requirements, and transparency mandates. The author warns that 'nothing to hide' rhetoric dismisses the documented history of surveillance being deployed disproportionately against communities of color and dissenting voices.

Legal Apr 6, 2026

Court Denies Request That It Find Flock Safety Camera Data Is Exempt from Public Records Act

Skagit Valley Herald · Brandon Stone

A Skagit County Superior Court judge declined to vacate the November 2025 ruling that Flock camera images qualify as public records under Washington's PRA, despite the cities of Stanwood and Sedro-Woolley arguing that newly enacted SB 6002 rendered the data exempt. The ruling preserves public access to ALPR footage under Washington transparency law.

Legal Apr 3, 2026

Flock Safety License Plate Reader Cameras Lawsuit (Amended Complaint)

State of Surveillance · State of Surveillance Staff

Gibbs Mura and Milberg PLLC filed an amended class action complaint against Flock Safety on April 3, 2026, alleging Flock's ALPR network illegally shared California drivers' location data with out-of-state and federal agencies including ICE, CBP, FBI, and ATF. The suit cites evidence that SFPD cameras were searched by out-of-state agencies over 1.6 million times in seven months and seeks $2,500 minimum damages per violation under California law.

Research Apr 2, 2026

Virginia Police Search Vehicle Surveillance Data 24/7. 'Why?' Isn't Always Clear.

WHRO / Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism · Daniel Berti, Erica Lehmann

VCIJ analyzed 200,000 Flock search logs from July through October 2025 across roughly 150 Virginia law enforcement agencies and found officers routinely used cryptic abbreviations like 'CJ,' 'inv,' or 'T,' or one-word justifications such as 'suspicious' or 'shooting.' More than 1,800 searches used variations of 'suspicious' as the sole justification, and agencies continued sharing data with 800 out-of-state agencies in apparent violation of Virginia's new ALPR law.

Legal Apr 1, 2026

New Proposed Ordinance Aims to Regulate Automated License Plate Reader Technology in Durango

ACLU of Colorado · ACLU of Colorado Staff

Durango City Councilor Shirley Gonzales announced a proposed 'Protect our Privacy Ordinance' requiring judicial warrants for accessing Flock ALPR data, limiting data retention to 72 hours, and creating a community oversight board. Developed with ACLU of Colorado and the Colorado Immigrants' Rights Coalition, the ordinance could become a model for local ALPR regulation.

Research Apr 1, 2026

Cops and hotlists: Balancing security and privacy with ALPR technology

The Police Journal · Johnny Nhan, Richard C. Helfers

A qualitative academic study published in the SAGE Police Journal examining ALPR privacy implications through interviews with high-level law enforcement users, policymakers, and Flock Safety representatives. The authors find that while ALPRs offer technological accuracy and law enforcement benefits, the absence of clear policies and operating standards creates significant misuse potential, and that comprehensive legal frameworks are needed to balance public safety with civil liberties.

Investigative Apr 1, 2026

Jerome County Sheriff Used Flock Cameras to Search for Wife's Vehicle Over 700 Times

East Idaho News · Cole Quinn

Jerome County Sheriff George Oppedyk ran more than 700 Flock searches on his wife's license plate between July and September 2025, claiming the searches were merely to 'check the system's reliability.' The Idaho Attorney General declined to file charges, citing inability to prove criminal intent. Oppedyk retired April 18, 2026, halfway through his term, and Twin Falls Police temporarily revoked Jerome County's Flock access in response.

Legal Apr 1, 2026

Seattle City Council Passes Bills Limiting Immigration Inquiries, Surveillance Use

South Seattle Emerald · South Seattle Emerald Staff

The Seattle City Council unanimously passed a bill imposing a 60-day pause on ALPR and CCTV data collection when surveillance technology can be used for civil immigration enforcement or to threaten access to reproductive care or gender-affirming care. The measure accompanied a companion bill aligning SPD practices with state law restricting immigration-status inquiries.

Legal Apr 1, 2026

Stanwood to Reactivate Flock Safety Cameras in Light of New Law

Everett Herald · Everett Herald Staff

Stanwood, which deactivated its 14 Flock cameras in May 2025 after a court ruling that ALPR data is subject to public disclosure, plans to reactivate them after Washington's new Driver Privacy Act (SB 6002) exempts ALPR data from public disclosure. The city is evaluating camera locations for compliance with the new law's restrictions on placement near schools and healthcare facilities.

Investigative Apr 1, 2026

Troy Council Questions Validity of Flock Safety Contract Renewal

WAMC · Sajina Shrestha

Troy's $78,000 annual Flock contract automatically renewed despite the all-Democrat city council's opposition. The council president directed the city auditor to withhold payments, while the mayor declared a 'public safety emergency' to keep 26 cameras operational. The dispute highlights how Flock's auto-renewal contract terms can bypass democratic oversight.

Investigative Apr 1, 2026

Chesterfield Residents, Civil Liberties Groups Question Flock Safety Contract

VPM · VPM Staff

Chesterfield County's proposed $2.3 billion budget includes $60,000 for maintaining 141 Flock cameras and over $260,000 for three new intelligence officers to interpret ALPR data. Residents and civil liberties groups are pushing back against the expansion, while prior reporting found at least five Virginia counties shared Flock data with federal immigration enforcement.

Investigative Apr 1, 2026

Chesterfield Residents, Civil Liberties Groups Question Flock Safety Contract

VPM News · VPM News Staff

Chesterfield County's $2.3 billion proposed budget includes $60,000 for the 141-camera Flock network plus $260,000 for three intelligence officers interpreting the data — numbers surfaced by resident Ian Richards-Karamarkovich, who has launched a petition to end the county's $225,000-a-year contract.

Op-Ed Mar 31, 2026

License Plate Readers Are a Privacy Concern Lacking Oversight

Bluegrass Institute · Caleb O. Brown, Alasdair Whitney

The Bluegrass Institute's CEO and the Institute for Justice's legislative counsel argue that Kentucky lacks any warrant requirement, restrictions on outside agency access, or meaningful oversight of license plate reader technology. They call on the state legislature to enact basic privacy guardrails as Louisville and Lexington expand ALPR deployments.

Legal Mar 31, 2026

Washington Adds Safeguards for Flock Cameras with Driver Privacy Act

Washington State Standard · Jake Goldstein-Street

Governor Bob Ferguson signed SB 6002, called 'the strongest ALPR bill in the country,' into law. The Driver Privacy Act limits camera use to felonies and gross misdemeanors, mandates 21-day data deletion, bans cameras near schools and healthcare facilities, prohibits immigration enforcement use, and makes violations a gross misdemeanor. The bill passed with strong bipartisan support.

Legal Mar 27, 2026

Arizona Bill Would Prohibit Surveillance Network Without Getting Residents' Public Vote

KJZZ · Howard Fischer

Arizona HB 2917 would require a 65% supermajority voter approval before any government entity can deploy a mass surveillance network including ALPRs. The bill mandates 3-minute data deletion for non-matches, bans surveillance near places of worship and political protests, and passed committee with bipartisan support.

Research Mar 27, 2026

Cameras Have Quietly Appeared in Thousands of US Cities — Now, Their Integration with AI Is Sounding Alarms

The Conversation · Jess Reia

University of Virginia data science professor Jess Reia examines how ALPR cameras in thousands of US cities are now integrated with AI to create vast searchable databases, enabling mass location tracking with no comprehensive federal data protection laws. The article highlights specific risks to immigrants, transgender individuals, and abortion seekers.

Investigative Mar 27, 2026

Flock Removes Final Two License Plate Cameras from Evanston After RoundTable Inquiry

Evanston RoundTable · Evanston RoundTable Staff

Flock Safety left two cameras installed and covered in Evanston for six months after the city terminated its contract in August 2025, only removing them after the Evanston RoundTable inquired about their continued presence. The delayed removal mirrors similar situations in other cities where Flock dragged its feet on camera removals.

FOIA Mar 27, 2026

"Flock Wing License(s) Included": How Speed Cameras Became Surveillance Cameras

Have I Been Flocked? · H.C. van Pelt

An investigative analysis of Hillsborough County, Florida's speed camera contracts reveals that RedSpeed bundles 'Flock Wing Licenses' directly into school zone speed camera agreements, feeding continuous HD video into Flock's national surveillance network. The contracts contain zero data governance provisions or privacy protections, meaning communities purchasing traffic enforcement equipment unknowingly feed footage into a mass surveillance platform.

Investigative Mar 26, 2026

Dunwoody Flock Safety Contract Delayed a Second Time Over Security Concerns

Atlanta Press Collective · Matt Scott

Dunwoody City Council unanimously deferred its Flock911 contract for the second consecutive month after an internal technology audit revealed concerning security gaps including breach history, missing multi-factor authentication, and devices running unsupported Android 8. A resident's 35 public records requests exposed data-sharing with 1,200 agencies.

Investigative Mar 26, 2026

Traffic Violation! License Plate Reader Mission Creep Is Already Here

Electronic Frontier Foundation · Matthew Guariglia

EFF documents how Flock Safety cameras are being used for traffic enforcement despite the company's explicit claim that its ALPRs are 'not used to enforce traffic violations.' A Georgia State Patrol officer ticketed a motorcyclist for holding a cell phone based on Flock footage, and Flock now partners with six traffic enforcement companies.

FOIA Mar 26, 2026

The Platform: Flock Safety Is Running on Promises, Not Policy

Have I Been Flocked? · H.C. van Pelt

Using Dunwoody, Georgia PD audit logs, FBI criminal complaints, and a Flock training video recorded on a live police account, this investigation systematically debunks Flock Safety's three core campaign promises: local control, no federal access, and no employee access. Evidence shows Flock employees conducted hundreds of searches on live police networks, and subsequent audit log redactions obscured the activity.

Investigative Mar 25, 2026

Vote on Berkeley's 'Largest Surveillance Expansion' Gets Delayed

Berkeleyside · Berkeleyside Staff

Berkeley City Council delayed a vote on a $2 million Flock Safety expansion — described as 'the largest surveillance expansion in the city's history' — until June 2 after too many residents sought to speak. The proposal included 52 ALPR cameras, Flock drones, and a system to feed live business video into police headquarters.

Investigative Mar 25, 2026

Investor Group Pushing for Audit of How Home Depot Uses, Shares Flock Safety Data

WSB-TV · WSB-TV Staff

Zevin Asset Management and 17 co-filers are pushing Home Depot's board of directors to audit how the retail giant uses and shares Flock Safety ALPR data from its parking lots, citing evidence that federal immigration agents accessed Flock data through local law enforcement intermediaries. The shareholder proposal will go before investors at the May 21 proxy meeting.

Investigative Mar 25, 2026

'No Flock, No ICE': Student Protest Demands Removal of Flock Surveillance at UW

Badger Herald · Badger Herald Staff

UW-Madison students staged a 'No Flock, No ICE' protest demanding the university remove its eight Flock Safety cameras, citing concerns that camera data could be accessed by Wisconsin sheriffs who have 287(g) agreements with ICE. The protest follows the Academic Staff Assembly's resolution calling on UWPD to cancel the Flock contract.

Investigative Mar 24, 2026

Raging Debate Around Use of License Plate Readers, Flock Cameras: Are They Advancing Safety or Violating Privacy?

ABC7 Chicago · Mark Rivera

ABC7 Chicago's I-Team investigates the growing debate over Flock camera use in Illinois, highlighting Arlington Heights as the first municipality in the state to include financial penalties in its Flock contract for unauthorized data sharing. The report documents how more than 450 Illinois law enforcement agencies use Flock, and how a state audit flagged unauthorized data sharing with federal authorities.

Investigative Mar 24, 2026

Funding for Flock Cameras Under Review After Committee Vote

WKOW · Renee Aldana

Dane County's Public Protection and Judiciary Committee voted 4-1 to defund Flock Safety cameras from the sheriff's budget after more than 40 residents testified against mass surveillance. The $80,000 annual program covering 26 cameras faces termination if the full County Board approves the resolution.

Legal Mar 24, 2026

Attorney General Sides with Bowling Green Police in Flock Camera Records Dispute

WBKO · Brennan Crain

The Kentucky Attorney General ruled that Bowling Green Police can withhold Flock Safety camera locations from public records requests, determining that ALPR location records qualify for law enforcement exemption under state open records law. The ruling sets a troubling precedent for transparency around surveillance infrastructure.

Investigative Mar 24, 2026

ALPR Tech Now Preventing Parents From Enrolling Their Kids In School

Techdirt · Tim Cushing

An Illinois school district denied a child's enrollment based on ALPR 'pattern of life' data from Thomson Reuters CLEAR showing the family's vehicle at Chicago addresses overnight, despite the parent providing full residency documentation. The case highlights how ALPR data from networks like Flock's flows to commercial data brokers and gets used far beyond law enforcement.

Investigative Mar 23, 2026

Sheriff's Deputies Thought They'd Stopped a Criminal. But License Plate Cameras Led Them to the Wrong Person

The Oaklandside · Oaklandside Staff

A 65-year-old Oakland nurse was pulled over at gunpoint by Alameda County Sheriff's deputies after a Flock camera flagged her plates as connected to a crime. Thieves had swapped her plates in a tactic called 'cold-plating' to evade ALPR surveillance, highlighting a critical vulnerability where criminals swap plates to avoid detection while creating dangerous encounters for innocent vehicle owners.

Investigative Mar 19, 2026

Fort Collins and Boulder May Stop Using Flock Surveillance Cameras

KUNC ·

Fort Collins and Boulder are both considering dropping their Flock camera programs after public pushback, following Denver's decision not to renew. Boulder renegotiated its contract to allow 30-day termination without penalties. A Colorado Senate bill (SB 26-070) requiring warrants for ALPR searches older than 3 days is advancing through the legislature.

Investigative Mar 19, 2026

South Pasadena Cancels Flock Safety Contract Over Privacy Concerns

LAist · Libby Rainey

South Pasadena's city council voted 4-1 to prematurely end one of two Flock contracts covering 14 cameras over privacy concerns and illegal data sharing with federal immigration agents. A second contract covering 13 cameras will be allowed to expire in five months, as the city seeks alternative surveillance vendors.

Investigative Mar 18, 2026

This Wisconsin City Ditched AI Surveillance Cameras. Now Activists Want to Keep Going.

Bolts Magazine · Pascal Sabino

After Verona voted to end its Flock contract, the company refused to remove cameras for months, claiming no available technicians while simultaneously sending sales reps to pitch new contracts. Federal border patrol accessed Verona's data 3,200 times despite officials claiming federal sharing was disabled. Mayor Luke Diaz said the delayed removal proved 'we are the product.'

Investigative Mar 18, 2026

Flock's Replacement Has Fewer Cameras and No National Database, but Council Members Still Have Concerns

Denverite ·

Denver's $150,000 Axon contract to replace Flock advances through committee, featuring 50 cameras (half of Flock's 100), 21-day data retention, no national database, and Denver owning all data. Axon pledged to fight any subpoenas in court. Council members still expressed concerns about the fundamental concept of mass license plate surveillance regardless of vendor.

FOIA Mar 18, 2026

Docs Show Privacy, Oversight Concerns for Camera System Used by OKCPD

Oklahoma City Free Press · Brett Fieldcamp

FOIA documents reveal Oklahoma City PD has zero transparency reporting, no internal usage reporting, and no SOPs for their 90 Flock cameras. An internal memo states: 'There is no transparency reporting or internal usage reporting in our policies, SOPs, directives, training or guidance materials.' The $270,000/year contract lacks any oversight mechanisms.

Investigative Mar 18, 2026

Richmond Extends Flock Contract, Agrees to Turn Cameras Back On

East Bay Times ·

Richmond's City Council voted 4-3 to extend its Flock contract and reactivate cameras that had been off since October 2025, when police discovered federal agencies had unauthorized access. Flock agreed to a $290,000 penalty for unauthorized data disclosures and disabled the national lookup feature for all California agencies. Vehicle theft had risen 33% while cameras were off.

Investigative Mar 17, 2026

Flock Lost Its Contract with Denver, but Its Private Cameras Will Keep Running

Denverite ·

Although Denver's city contract with Flock ends March 31, private cameras leased to businesses, HOAs, and neighborhood groups will continue operating. Denver police can currently search any private Flock customer's data if the customer opts into sharing. The article highlights how private deployments create a parallel surveillance network that persists even when cities officially cut ties.

Op-Ed Mar 16, 2026

Flock 'Safety' Endangers Us All

The Daily Californian · Liza Barry

Op-ed opposing Flock expansion in Berkeley, citing the Denver false theft accusation case and California SB 34 violations. Reveals Berkeley PD's internal audit found external agencies searching their data using terms like 'ICE' and 'CBP,' potentially violating Berkeley's sanctuary city resolution. Berkeley City Council votes March 24.

Op-Ed Mar 15, 2026

Boulder's Contract with Flock Deserves More Scrutiny

Boulder Daily Camera · Gary Garrison

The editorial board argues Boulder's Flock contract renewal needs rigorous City Council scrutiny, noting Denver ended its contract and Longmont paused over privacy concerns. Warns that mass surveillance data could be misused by hostile government actors and federal immigration agencies.

FOIA Mar 15, 2026

The Foilies 2026: Flock Safety Receives Transparency 'Award'

Electronic Frontier Foundation · Beryl Lipton, Dave Maass, Aaron Mackey

EFF and MuckRock's annual Sunshine Week awards singled out Flock Safety for using bogus trademark claims against DeFlock.me and hiring a takedown company to remove HaveIBeenFlocked.com from the internet. Taunton PD charged ACLU $1.8 million for audit logs. The awards highlight Flock's pattern of using legal intimidation to silence critics and suppress public accountability tools.

Legal Mar 13, 2026

ACLU of Wisconsin Supports Common Council Letter Calling for Police Surveillance Reforms

ACLU of Wisconsin ·

The ACLU of Wisconsin endorses a letter from four Milwaukee Common Council members demanding urgent Flock surveillance reforms after multiple stalking cases. Calls for independent auditing, ICE data-sharing protections, transparent reporting, public hearings, and adoption of a Community Control Over Police Surveillance (CCOPS) framework.

Research Mar 13, 2026

What the Norfolk Case Gets Wrong About ALPRs

Independent Institute · Pegah K. Parsi

Legal analysis critiquing the Schmidt v. City of Norfolk ruling that upheld 176 Flock cameras as constitutional. Argues the court misapplied Carpenter v. United States by treating analysis rather than collection as the constitutional trigger. Warns that if the reasoning stands, governments will be free to collect and analyze large-scale location data without warrants.

Investigative Mar 13, 2026

How Do Tulsa Police Use Flock Cameras to Investigate at Protests?

Tulsa Flyer ·

Tulsa Police logged at least 38 Flock searches tied to protest activity in 2025, including anti-ICE demonstrations, a pro-Palestinian rally, and No Kings protests, according to EFF data analysis. City Councilor Laura Bellis raised First and Fourth Amendment concerns, while TPD claims cameras are only used 'reactively' to investigate crimes at protests.

Investigative Mar 13, 2026

Wisconsin Communities Grapple with Police Misuse of Flock Surveillance

Wisconsin Examiner · Henry Redman

A statewide investigation documenting police misuse of Flock cameras across Wisconsin's 221 agencies. Officers routinely used vague justifications like 'investigation' or just '.' when logging searches, undermining audit oversight. Four Milwaukee aldermen cited 'alarming systemic oversight gaps' after multiple misuse cases, and MPD has since restricted Flock access to its Criminal Investigations Bureau.

Op-Ed Mar 12, 2026

Opinion: I Was Falsely Accused of a Crime Because of License Plate Readers

Colorado Sun · Chrisanna Elser

First-person account by the Denver woman falsely accused of package theft based on Flock ALPR footage. Describes the 'horror of having to prove one's innocence' over two weeks, gathering GPS, video, and other evidence to clear her name. Argues Colorado lawmakers must implement guardrails on mass surveillance technology.

Legal Mar 12, 2026

License Plate Reader Bill Likely To Pass This Session, CT Senator Says

CT News Junkie ·

Connecticut's HB 5449 would reduce ALPR data retention to 7 days, ban use for immigration enforcement or investigating abortion and transgender healthcare seekers, and restrict data sharing to neighboring states. The bill received overwhelming public support and is expected to pass this session.

Legal Mar 12, 2026

Automated License Plate Reader Bill Heads to Governor's Desk

Everett Herald ·

Washington's SB 6002 (Driver Privacy Act) passed both chambers and was delivered to Governor Ferguson. The bill establishes the state's first ALPR regulatory framework: 21-day data retention, ban on ICE access, prohibition of cameras near schools, churches, courts, and food banks, with gross misdemeanor penalties for violations and immediate effect upon signing.

Investigative Mar 12, 2026

Suburban School District Uses License Plate Readers to Verify Student Residency

NBC Chicago ·

Alsip Hazelgreen Oak Lawn School District 126 used Thomson Reuters CLEAR license plate reader data to deny a mother's enrollment application, claiming cameras showed her car at Chicago addresses overnight. The mother had loaned her car to a relative that summer. The district holds a $41,904 ALPR contract, illustrating how license plate surveillance expands beyond law enforcement into everyday life.

Investigative Mar 12, 2026

Milwaukee Police Update Policies and Audit System for Flock Camera Database

WTMJ ·

After the Josue Ayala misuse scandal, Milwaukee PD implemented a new audit system that flags frequently-searched plates, restricted Flock access to the Criminal Investigations Bureau, and now requires captain sign-off. The MPD Risk Manager admitted: 'We didn't really understand the gaps in that audit system until something slipped through the cracks.'

Research Mar 12, 2026

Virginia Legislators Ding Local Law Enforcement Over Surveillance Abuses

WVTF ·

Virginia legislators raised concerns over a State Crime Commission report revealing widespread noncompliance with the state's ALPR law. Twenty-one percent of agencies kept data longer than the 21-day limit, 30 agencies shared data with federal or out-of-state agencies in violation of state law, and 26 agencies had no ALPR policy at all. Senate Majority Leader Surovell warned legislators 'might have to reconsider the entire program.'

Investigative Mar 11, 2026

From Flock to ICE, Here's a Breakdown of How You're Being Watched

404 Media · Jason Koebler, Joseph Cox

404 Media breaks down the full surveillance pipeline from Flock cameras to ICE enforcement, detailing how Palantir powers ICE's ELITE tool for neighborhood raids, how Flock's 4,800+ police department network enables warrantless tracking, and how Ring cameras are becoming networked AI surveillance systems.

Investigative Mar 11, 2026

Denver Council Considers License Plate Camera Replacement for Flock

Denver Post ·

Denver City Council considers a $150K one-year Axon contract to replace Flock, with key improvements: 21-day data retention instead of 30, no national database, and an invite-only sharing system requiring partner agencies to abide by specific rules. The mayor's office requested a delay until March 18 to finalize contract details.

Legal Mar 10, 2026

San Jose Council Moves Ahead with New Guardrails on License-Plate Cameras

Mercury News ·

San Jose City Council approved policy changes for its 474 Flock cameras, reducing data retention from one year to 30 days and banning cameras from recording vehicles near houses of worship and reproductive health clinics. The EFF/ACLU lawsuit challenging San Jose's warrantless ALPR surveillance remains pending.

Investigative Mar 10, 2026

Flock Camera Study Delayed in Palo Alto After Auditor Recusal

Palo Alto Online ·

Palo Alto's city auditor Baker Tilly recused itself from a planned Flock camera audit due to a conflict of interest — the firm also provides services to Flock Safety. The recusal delays oversight at a critical moment when multiple Bay Area cities are discovering unauthorized federal access to their Flock data.

Legal Mar 10, 2026

Iowa ACLU Lobbying for ALPR Regulations; Two Bills Await House Consideration

WVIK ·

Two bipartisan bills regulating ALPRs await Iowa House consideration, backed by an ACLU of Iowa and University of Iowa Technology Law Clinic report documenting over 500 ALPR devices in Iowa with little oversight. House File 2161 would require permanent deletion of captured data within 30 days and restrict access after 24 hours to warrant or subpoena only.

Investigative Mar 9, 2026

AI Cameras Are Everywhere — and People Are Paying the Price for Their Mistakes

Business Insider · Nicole Einbinder

Business Insider reviewed police records, lawsuits, and local news and found at least a dozen cases where Flock cameras misread plates, leading to innocent people being stopped at gunpoint, jailed, or mauled by police dogs. Key cases include a Toledo man attacked by a K-9 after a misread '7' as '2' and a Tennessee family held at gunpoint with a 3-year-old. Flock refuses to publish its misread rate.

Legal Mar 8, 2026

Michigan Would Regulate Police License Plate Cameras Under Bipartisan Bill

Bridge Michigan ·

Michigan state representatives introduced bipartisan House Bills 5492 and 5493 to regulate ALPR use, limiting data retention to 14 days and requiring warrants for data disclosure. The ACLU of Michigan praised the bipartisan support. The bills follow Bay City's 6-2 vote to reject a Flock contract.

Op-Ed Mar 8, 2026

The Column: The Myth of Flock Safety

Lowell Sun · Peter Currier

Currier argues Flock cameras are 'dystopian nightmares' communities should reject. He cites Mountain View discovering 17 months of unauthorized statewide data access and Lenexa police allegedly misusing ALPR to target a critic, concluding that even local safeguards cannot prevent federal government access.

Investigative Mar 7, 2026

How Police Cameras Are Open to Officers' Abuse

The Marshall Project · Jamiles Lartey

A cross-state investigation documenting how officers in Wisconsin, Florida, Kansas, and Georgia have abused Flock ALPR systems to track romantic partners and ex-partners. Despite growing adoption of the technology, minimal safeguards exist to prevent personal misuse by law enforcement.

Op-Ed Mar 6, 2026

I Told You So: Flock Surveillance Technology Misused by Police

Shepherd Express · Emilio De Torre

Despite promised safeguards, Flock surveillance technology has been repeatedly misused by officers. Milwaukee Officer Josue Ayala stalked two individuals with 179 searches, Greenfield's police chief spied on his ex-wife, and ICE routinely accesses local Flock data for immigration enforcement — all while oversight mechanisms failed to catch any of it.

Investigative Mar 4, 2026

Bloomington City Council Passes Unanimous Resolution for Flock Oversight

Indiana Daily Student · Staff

Bloomington's council passed 9-0 a resolution calling for greater oversight, transparency, and a pause on Flock expansion. Councilman Rollo warned: 'We're essentially living in a society where total surveillance is the goal... That is the hallmark of a totalitarian state.'

Investigative Mar 4, 2026

Richmond City Council Fails to Take Action on Flock ALPR Camera System

Contra Costa News · Staff

After 50+ public comments, Richmond's council ran out of meeting time without voting. Cameras had been off since October 2025 after discovering the 'national lookup' feature was active without authorization. The contract expired, leaving cameras off by default.

Investigative Mar 3, 2026

Cities End Flock Partnership

Fortune · Staff

Fortune's national overview of the Flock backlash, reporting on Boston PD and Massachusetts ACLU demanding changes to Flock's user agreement to restrict data sharing, pushing back against Flock's default 'worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free' license.

FOIA Mar 3, 2026

Transparency Update: ALPR Exemption Kneecaps Journalists

Inside Investigator · Katherine Revello

Connecticut's proposed SB 4 would exempt all ALPR data from FOIA disclosure, cutting off the very public records requests that exposed Flock misuse. The article argues this is a direct response to CT Insider's reporting that revealed immigration enforcement searches of ALPR data in six municipalities, and cites Flock's CEO characterizing public records demands as a 'coordinated attack.'

Investigative Mar 1, 2026

Arkansas Family with Infant Stopped at Gunpoint After Flock ALPR Misreads License Plate

Carscoops · Carscoops Staff

A Flock ALPR misread a character on a family's license plate, flagging their SUV as stolen. Both parents were handcuffed while their infant was in the vehicle. The officer blamed the error on a license plate frame. After releasing the family, officers accidentally drove away with their keys.

Investigative Feb 27, 2026

The Nationwide Revolt Against Flock Safety Cameras

The New Republic · Finn Hartnett

Profiles the DeFlock grassroots movement with at least 15 local anti-Flock groups organizing across the country. At least 30 localities have canceled or paused contracts since early 2025. Flock CEO Garrett Langley called DeFlock a 'terroristic organization.'

Investigative Feb 27, 2026

SF Cop Investigated for Using Flock License Plate Reader Data to Track Wife's Stolen Car

SF Standard · Jonah Owen Lamb

An SFPD internal affairs investigation found an unnamed officer used the department's Flock ALPR system to search for his wife's stolen car and posted images on Instagram. The misuse was discovered when an outside agency reported its license plate reader data had been shared on social media.

Investigative Feb 26, 2026

Milwaukee Officer Ran 179 Unauthorized Flock Searches to Stalk Girlfriend's Ex-Partner

FOX6 Milwaukee · FOX6 Milwaukee Staff

Milwaukee Officer Josue Ayala ran 179 unauthorized Flock searches — 55 times on a woman he was dating and 124 times on her ex-partner. The misuse wasn't caught by internal monitoring — one victim found their plate on HaveIBeenFlocked.com. Ayala resigned before his court date.

Investigative Feb 26, 2026

San Jose Police Were Retaining Flock ALPR Data for One Full Year

Mercury News · Mercury News Staff

San Jose PD was retaining all ALPR data for one full year, far beyond Flock's stated 30-day default. The police chief asked the City Council to reduce retention to 30 days, confirming that Flock allows departments to quietly extend retention with minimal oversight.

Op-Ed Feb 25, 2026

License Plate Readings Shouldn't Be Public Data

ACLU · Jay Stanley, Chad Marlow

The ACLU argues that while specific license plate numbers should be exempt from public records, aggregate audit data like scan locations, frequency, and search purposes should remain public. The piece addresses HaveIBeenFlocked.com publishing searchable ALPR data and proposes a framework balancing transparency with individual privacy.

Investigative Feb 23, 2026

Americans Are Destroying Flock Surveillance Cameras Across Multiple States

TechCrunch · TechCrunch Staff

Protesters have physically dismantled Flock cameras in at least five states, with one activist in Virginia reportedly destroying at least thirteen cameras. The physical resistance accompanies a broader political movement that has seen 30+ cities cancel contracts. Flock scans over 20 billion plates per month across 5,000+ agencies.

Investigative Feb 17, 2026

Why some cities are canceling Flock license plate reader contracts

NPR · Jude Joffe-Block

NPR reports at least 30 U.S. cities have canceled or deactivated Flock contracts since early 2025. Flock operates cameras in over 5,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide, but revelations that federal agencies including Border Patrol accessed local data without consent have fueled a nationwide backlash.

Op-Ed Feb 15, 2026

EFF Launches 'Get the Flock Out' Campaign as 30+ Cities Cancel Contracts

Electronic Frontier Foundation · EFF Staff

The Electronic Frontier Foundation launched its 'Get the Flock Out' campaign in February 2026, providing resources and toolkits for communities to challenge Flock Safety contracts. The campaign coincides with a growing nationwide movement that has seen 30+ localities cancel or pause their Flock agreements.

Investigative Feb 12, 2026

Amazon's Ring Cancels Flock Partnership Amid Super Bowl Ad Backlash

CNBC · CNBC Staff

Amazon's Ring canceled its planned integration with Flock Safety amid backlash over Ring's Super Bowl commercial and growing concerns about Flock's data-sharing with ICE. The partnership would have allowed law enforcement to request video footage from Ring users through Flock's platform.

Legal Feb 5, 2026

California Appeals Court Rules ALPR Privacy Policy Violation Is Cognizable Harm

California Court of Appeal · Staff

A unanimous California appeals panel held that failing to post the privacy policy required by SB 34 constitutes cognizable harm even without proof of data misuse. This makes SB 34's $2,500-per-violation damages immediately more enforceable against all California ALPR operators.

Investigative Jan 27, 2026

Police Told to Be 'as Vague as Permissible' About Why They Use Flock

404 Media · Joseph Cox

Documents obtained by 404 Media showed law enforcement being coached to be deliberately vague about their use of Flock surveillance technology, revealing a systematic culture of opacity around the system's deployment and capabilities.

Op-Ed Jan 15, 2026

Flock CEO Goes Ballistic on Critics

ACLU · Jay Stanley

The ACLU documented Flock CEO Garrett Langley telling police that critics are 'activists trying to let murderers go free' and calling the DeFlock.me mapping project 'terroristic.' The ACLU criticized Langley for demonizing democratic accountability.

Investigative Jan 15, 2026

Police Unmask Millions of Surveillance Targets Because of Flock Redaction Error

404 Media · Jason Koebler

Multiple police departments released unredacted Flock audit logs through public records requests, exposing 2.3+ million license plates and tens of millions of searches. The data was aggregated on HaveIBeenFlocked.com. Flock threatened the site's web hosts and restricted audit log access going forward.

Legal Jan 15, 2026

Federal Court Upholds Norfolk's 176 Flock Cameras as Constitutional — But Warns Expansion Could 'Tip' the Balance

Institute for Justice · Institute for Justice Staff

A federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia upheld Norfolk's use of 176 Flock cameras as constitutional, but explicitly warned that further expansion could 'tip' the balance into unconstitutional territory. The Institute for Justice is appealing to the Fourth Circuit, setting up a potential landmark ruling on mass ALPR surveillance.

Investigative Jan 12, 2026

Joplin Officer No Longer Employed After Alleged Misuse of License Plate Tracking System

KCTV5 · Sarah Motter

A Joplin police officer was terminated after an internal investigation found he ran two license plates nearly 395 times over 14 months using the Flock system. The department requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol conduct an independent criminal investigation and implemented monthly audits and policy updates.

Research Dec 30, 2025

EFF's Investigations Expose Flock Safety's Surveillance Abuses: 2025 in Review

Electronic Frontier Foundation · Sarah Hamid

A comprehensive year-end review documenting how EFF investigations revealed Flock's ALPR network was used to track protesters, facilitate discriminatory policing against Romani communities, and surveil women seeking reproductive healthcare. The investigations sparked federal inquiries and landmark litigation.

Investigative Dec 26, 2025

Racine Detective Demoted After Using Flock to Surveil Girlfriend's Ex

Kenosha County Eye · Kevin Mathewson

Racine County Sheriff's Detective Emil Ortiz was demoted and suspended 10 days without pay after using Flock, CLEAR, and the Wisconsin TIME database dozens of times to spy on his new girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. Despite what many consider criminal misuse, Ortiz was neither fired nor criminally charged.

Investigative Dec 15, 2025

Flock CEO Includes Charlottesville, Staunton in Email Blaming Activists

Cville Right Now · Staff

Charlottesville Police Chief Kochis called Flock CEO Langley's email blaming activists 'inappropriate' and 'pouting,' stating 'People have a right to disagree... That's how Democracy works.' The department disconnected from Flock's national network due to ICE concerns.

Investigative Dec 1, 2025

Flock Uses Overseas Gig Workers to Build its Surveillance AI

404 Media · Joseph Cox

Flock accidentally exposed training materials revealing it employs overseas gig workers from the Philippines via Upwork to review and classify U.S. surveillance footage for its machine learning algorithms, raising concerns about foreign access to sensitive domestic surveillance data.

Research Nov 20, 2025

How Cops Are Using Flock Safety's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

Electronic Frontier Foundation · Dave Maass and Rindala Alajaji

EFF analysis of 10 months of nationwide Flock search data found more than 50 agencies ran hundreds of searches connected to protest activity. Many searches logged only 'protest' as justification, demonstrating how mass surveillance enables tracking of First Amendment activities without warrants.

Investigative Nov 19, 2025

Oakland Council Committee Rejects Flock Surveillance Camera Expansion

The Oaklandside · Staff

Oakland's Public Safety Committee effectively killed a $2.25M Flock contract by voting 2-2, and the Privacy Advisory Commission voted 4-2 against it. However, the full council later approved it 7-1, with roughly two-thirds of public speakers opposed.

Research Nov 17, 2025

Researchers Expose Severe Security Vulnerabilities in Flock Cameras: Unencrypted Data, Cleartext Credentials, Discontinued OS

Privacy Guides · Privacy Guides Staff

Security researchers found Flock cameras run a discontinued Android OS with no security updates since 2021, store images unencrypted, transmit credentials in cleartext, and can be fully accessed via a button sequence on the device. Multiple CVEs were registered including cleartext storage and hardcoded passwords.

Research Nov 15, 2025

Flock Can Share Driver-Surveillance Data Even When Police Departments Opt Out

ACLU · ACLU Staff

Based on statewide public records requests, ACLU-MA found 80+ Massachusetts departments share Flock data with 7,000+ agencies nationwide. Flock's default contract grants a 'worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free' license to disclose agency data -- even when departments restrict sharing.

Legal Nov 15, 2025

Washington Court Rules That Data Captured on Flock Safety Cameras Are Public Records

Electronic Frontier Foundation · EFF Staff

A Skagit County judge ruled Flock camera images are public records under Washington's Public Records Act, even when stored by a third-party vendor. The judge found the scope of Flock surveillance was 'so broad and indiscriminate' that the data must be released, prompting multiple cities to shut off cameras.

Investigative Nov 5, 2025

Researchers Claim Flock Cameras Are Easy to Hack

9News Denver · Staff

Security researcher Jon Gaines documented 51 vulnerabilities in Flock cameras, including root access achievable in under 30 seconds. Cameras ran Android 8 (unsupported since 2021) with unlocked bootloaders and hardcoded credentials. A researcher demonstrated planting fabricated footage to trigger police responses against innocent people.

Investigative Nov 3, 2025

Flock Logins Exposed In Malware Infections, Senator Asks FTC to Investigate

404 Media · Joseph Cox

Senator Ron Wyden and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi requested an FTC investigation into Flock for failing to enforce multi-factor authentication. Researchers found passwords for at least 35 Flock customer accounts stolen via infostealer malware and sold on Russian cybercrime forums.

Research Nov 3, 2025

License Plate Surveillance Logs Reveal Racist Policing Against Romani People

Electronic Frontier Foundation · Rindala Alajaji and Dave Maass

EFF discovered over 80 U.S. law enforcement agencies searched Flock's ALPR network using racial slurs and ethnic stereotypes targeting Romani people. Between June 2024 and October 2025, police conducted hundreds of searches using slurs, often without citing any specific crime.

Investigative Nov 1, 2025

License Plate Camera Error Leads Police to Arrest Washington Father Instead of Son

KING 5 · KING 5 Staff

Flock flagged a father's Ford Fusion as 'associated' with his son, who was wanted on a felony warrant. Police knew the car was registered to the father, but handcuffed him in his driveway anyway. The incident contributed to Redmond's City Council voting to disable all Flock cameras.

Investigative Oct 30, 2025

Sandy Springs Police Officer Terminated After Allegedly Using City's Flock Cameras for Personal Gain

WSB-TV · Michael Doudna

Sandy Springs fired Reserve Sergeant Francis Esposito after an investigation revealed he ran license plates using his city Flock login and transferred the data to Signal 8, a company where he also worked. A whistleblower reported the violation, claiming Flock data was used for product beta testing. Investigators concluded Esposito may have violated Georgia corporate espionage laws.

Investigative Oct 28, 2025

Flock Camera Leads Colorado Police to Wrong Suspect in Package Theft

Colorado Sun · Colorado Sun Staff

A Columbine Valley officer accused Chrisanna Elser of stealing a package based on Flock camera footage of her Rivian. The officer refused to show her the video and told her to bring evidence to court. She spent weeks compiling evidence before the police chief acknowledged the error and dropped the summons.

Research Oct 21, 2025

Leaving the Door Wide Open: CBP Had 'Back Door' Access to Local Agencies' Flock Data

University of Washington Center for Human Rights · UW Center for Human Rights

University of Washington researchers documented how CBP had 'back door' access to at least 10 local agencies' Flock ALPR data without explicit authorization. Over 4,000 lookups were done at the behest of or as informal favors to federal immigration enforcement.

Investigative Oct 6, 2025

Oakland Privacy Commission Rejects Flock Safety Cameras

The Oaklandside · Staff

Oakland's volunteer Privacy Advisory Commission voted 4-2 to recommend against Flock. Two commissioners subsequently resigned in protest when the full council overrode their recommendation.

Research Oct 1, 2025

Get The FLOCK Out Resource Guide

ACLU of Massachusetts · ACLU-MA Staff

ACLU of Massachusetts resource guide documenting 80+ Massachusetts departments sharing Flock data with agencies in states banning abortion and gender-affirming care, providing templates and toolkits for communities to challenge Flock contracts.

Research Sep 1, 2025

Know Your Tech: Flock

ACLU of Oregon · ACLU-OR Staff

ACLU of Oregon resource page with template letters for residents to send to city councils opposing Flock cameras, part of the organization's broader campaign that also backed the Eugene public records lawsuit.

Research Aug 15, 2025

Flock's Aggressive Expansions Go Far Beyond Simple Driver Surveillance

ACLU · Jay Stanley

Comprehensive ACLU analysis of Flock's expansion into video, live feeds, AI search, 'Convoy Search' tracking associations, data broker integration via Nova, the Ring partnership, and corporate surveillance -- building what the ACLU called 'an infrastructure for corporate blacklisting.'

Investigative Aug 8, 2025

Congress Launches Investigation into Flock After 404 Media Reporting

404 Media · Joseph Cox

Two members of Congress launched a formal investigation into Flock demanding details of all searches related to ICE, CBP, and abortions. The inquiry focused on Flock's role in enabling invasive surveillance practices that threaten the privacy, safety, and civil liberties of vulnerable Americans.

Legal Aug 1, 2025

Institute for Justice Launches Nationwide 'Plate Privacy Project' to Fight ALPR Surveillance

Institute for Justice · Institute for Justice Staff

The Institute for Justice launched the Plate Privacy Project, combining nationwide litigation with model legislation to challenge mass ALPR surveillance. The campaign aims to establish Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless license plate tracking and provide legislative templates for cities and states.

Investigative Jul 7, 2025

Nearly 3,000 Immigration-Related Searches on Virginia's Flock Network Over 12 Months

VPM News · VPM News Staff

VPM investigation found nearly 3,000 immigration-related searches on Virginia's Flock ALPR network over 12 months. Despite Flock claiming no ICE relationship, CBP conducted a pilot program and local agencies performed thousands of lookups as informal favors for federal immigration enforcement.

Op-Ed Jun 15, 2025

Flock Safety's Feature Updates Cannot Make Automated License Plate Readers Safe

Electronic Frontier Foundation · EFF Staff

EFF's systematic rebuttal of Flock's privacy improvements, arguing software tweaks are easily circumvented and the fundamental architecture -- a nationwide interconnected surveillance network searchable across state lines -- cannot be fixed by feature updates.

Investigative May 27, 2025

ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows

404 Media · Joseph Cox and Jason Koebler

The report that launched the national backlash against Flock. 404 Media obtained data showing ICE agents accessed Flock's network through 'side door' arrangements where local police ran 4,000+ nationwide lookups on ICE's behalf, despite Flock's public claims of having no ICE relationship.

Investigative May 15, 2025

Denver City Council Unanimously Rejects Flock, Mayor Overrides

CBS Colorado · Staff

Denver City Council unanimously voted down a Flock extension, but Mayor Johnston unilaterally extended the contract twice for approximately $498,500 without council approval, sparking a constitutional separation-of-powers controversy.

Investigative May 15, 2025

Flock's Newest Police Tool Sparks Data Controversy

GovTech · Staff

Reporting revealed Flock's Nova platform supplemented ALPR data with information from data breaches and commercial data brokers. Independent analysis of Nova's codebase found explicit 'Dark Data' functionality for searching SSNs, credit card numbers, and breach archives, despite Flock's denials.

Legal Apr 15, 2025

Illinois Federal Court Dismisses ALPR Constitutional Challenge

Liberty Justice Center · Staff

A federal judge dismissed the Liberty Justice Center's challenge to Illinois State Police ALPR cameras, ruling ALPR scanning 'does not trigger Fourth Amendment scrutiny' because license plates are publicly visible.

Investigative Feb 9, 2025

Florida Officer Charged with Stalking After Using Flock and Police Databases to Track Controlling Relationship

Crime Online · Crime Online Staff

Orange City Officer Jarmarus Brown used Flock and the DAVID police database to track his ex-girlfriend, even asking a fellow officer to help him 'stakeout' her vehicle. The victim described extremely controlling behavior — limiting her makeup, fingernail length, and demanding constant location sharing. Charged with stalking and unauthorized computer access.

Research Nov 15, 2024

The Human Toll of ALPR Errors

Electronic Frontier Foundation · EFF Staff

EFF documents the systemic human cost of ALPR misreads and database errors: families held at gunpoint, children handcuffed, cars seized for weeks, and a driver mauled by a police dog. Industry accuracy of roughly 90% means 1-in-10 plates are misread, generating thousands of wrongful alerts annually.

Legal Oct 15, 2024

Institute for Justice Lawsuit Challenges Norfolk's Use of 172 Flock Cameras

Institute for Justice · Institute for Justice Staff

The Institute for Justice filed a Fourth Amendment challenge to Norfolk's use of 172 Flock cameras, arguing blanket ALPR surveillance constitutes an unconstitutional search. NBC News reported one plaintiff was tracked 526 times in four months. Flock attempted to intervene in the case but was rejected.

Legal Aug 1, 2024

Fifth Circuit Rules Geofence Warrants Categorically Unconstitutional — Implications for ALPR

Electronic Frontier Foundation · EFF Staff

In United States v. Smith, the Fifth Circuit held that geofence warrants are categorically unconstitutional because they search everyone in an area rather than a specific suspect. The reasoning has direct implications for ALPR networks that similarly surveil all vehicles passing through an area without individualized suspicion.

Legal May 16, 2024

Commonwealth v. Bell: First Court Ruling to Suppress Flock ALPR Evidence

Norfolk Circuit Court / EFF · Staff

In the first ruling of its kind, a Norfolk judge ruled police should have obtained a warrant before accessing Flock data, suppressing evidence in a robbery case. The court analogized Flock's 172-camera system to GPS tracking under Carpenter v. United States.

Research Mar 20, 2024

Let's Talk About the Flock Study That Says It Solves Crime

404 Media · Jason Koebler

An academic researcher who provided oversight for Flock's marquee study — claiming its technology helps solve 10% of crime — expressed serious reservations. The researcher said police data was 'too varied and incomplete' for meaningful statistical analysis.

Legal Jan 15, 2024

New Hampshire's 3-Minute ALPR Deletion Law: The Most Restrictive in the Nation

Brennan Center for Justice · Brennan Center Staff

New Hampshire requires ALPR data to be deleted within 3 minutes unless connected to an active investigation — the most restrictive law in the nation. At least 17 states have ALPR-specific statutes, with Maine (21 days), Tennessee and North Carolina (90 days), and Arkansas (150 days) also imposing retention limits.

Investigative Mar 22, 2023

License Plate Surveillance, Courtesy of Your Homeowners Association

The Intercept · Sam Biddle

The Intercept documented how Flock courted police first, then tag-teamed to persuade HOAs to purchase cameras. In one Florida community, an individual resident installed 10 cameras without HOA backing. In Kechi, Kansas, a police officer was arrested for using Flock to stalk his estranged wife.

Investigative Oct 31, 2022

Kechi Police Lieutenant Arrested for Using Police Technology to Stalk Wife

KWCH · Staff

Kechi Police Lt. Victor Heiar was arrested for using Wichita PD's Flock system to track his estranged wife's movements. He pled guilty, received 18 months probation, and lost his police certification. His wife had told family where her kids were 'in case she were to come up missing or murdered.'

Investigative Jan 5, 2022

Driver Mauled by Police Dog After ALPR Flags Rental Car — Lost Use of Arm

CBS News · CBS News Staff

ALPR flagged Ali Badr's rental car as stolen after the rental company reported missed payments. Police released a K-9 that mauled his arm for over a minute while he was unresisting, with an officer pointing a gun at his face. Badr had at least three surgeries and reportedly lost use of his arm.

Research Sep 15, 2020

Automatic License Plate Readers: Legal Status and Policy Recommendations

Brennan Center for Justice · Rachel Levinson-Waldman

Comprehensive Brennan Center white paper covering ALPR legal status across states, data sharing risks, chilling effects on free speech, and risks of officer misuse. Has served as foundational policy resource for communities evaluating Flock contracts.

Legal Sep 1, 2020

Massachusetts Supreme Court First to Recognize ALPRs Can Constitute a Fourth Amendment Search

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · SJC

In Commonwealth v. McCarthy, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court became the first appellate court to recognize that ALPRs can constitute a Fourth Amendment search at sufficient scale. The court applied the 'mosaic theory,' holding that aggregated location data from plate readers can reveal intimate details of a person's life.