Flock Camera Abuse, Research Digest

Date saved: 2026-10-20 03:00 (PDT)

Sources: NPR, The Hill, USA TODAY/Clarion Ledger, ACLU, Politico, DeFlock, 404 Media

Key findings

NPR (August 22, 2026): Dozens of cities have canceled their contracts with Flock Safety, with about 100 cities having deactivated cameras, rejected deals, or cancelled contracts according to the DeFlock database. Some cities like Denver and Longmont, Colorado, have signed contracts with Flock competitor Axon instead. Flock CEO Garrett Langley claims the company will have added seven times the number of new customers that have left this year. (Source)
The Hill (August 2026): Two Phoenix suburbs (Tempe and Cave Creek) became the latest municipalities to terminate their Flock contracts. Tempe had an $80,000 contract and said it would turn off all Flock cameras in response to mounting reports of data misuse. More than 90 cities have moved to cancel or reject Flock ALPRs as of mid-August. (Source)
Jackson Clarion Ledger (October 16, 2026): Jackson, Mississippi Police Chief RaShall Brackney announced the department will not renew its Flock contract, citing privacy concerns. The contract was set to last at least two years from September 2024. Brackney said more than 50 officers nationwide have been charged for policy violations involving Flock license plate readers. (Source)

USA TODAY / Washington Post investigation (August 2026): More than 50 law enforcement officers have been accused, charged with, or convicted of misusing ALPRs for unauthorized purposes, including stalking past partners without consent. One officer allegedly searched his ex-girlfriend's license plate 124 times. In Texas, deputies used Flock data to investigate a woman suspected of traveling to have an abortion. A mother and her children were held at gunpoint after ALPR cameras wrongly flagged their car as stolen. (Source)
Senator Josh Hawley investigation (August 2026): The Missouri Republican launched an investigation into Flock's national surveillance network, citing multiple instances of "abuse and misuse of personal data." Flock responded with new privacy measures including an "Audit Assistance" feature to flag abnormal activity and a "proactive lockout" feature that automatically suspends access when user behavior meets a threshold for abnormal behavior. (Source)

NPR (August 2026): Competitors including Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada are stepping in to fill the gap as Flock contracts are cancelled. Axon CEO Rick Smith told investors they are seeing "a significant number of agencies want to come over to Axon and convert from existing license plate readers to us." Privacy advocates warn competitors offer similar surveillance capabilities, the EFF notes the national database means "suddenly your cameras are being used to enforce things that you don't agree with or that are not illegal in your town." (Source)
ACLU: ICE and CBP have repeatedly used Flock to go after immigrants without warrants. Kansas police used Flock to pursue a man who wrote a critical op-ed about the department. The ACLU campaign "Get The Flock Out" documents city after city backing out, including January 2026 (city council vote to end contract), August 2026 (Washington Terrace), and July 2026 (Stoughton, Wisconsin, voted unanimously to terminate). (Source)
Politico (August 9, 2026): The backlash against Flock cameras is becoming bipartisan, with over 20 local jurisdictions moving to cancel in July alone. Residents have swarmed city council meetings in multiple states, raising concerns about tracking people traveling to places of worship, medical care centers, and political protests. Some Virginians worry ALPR data could be used to identify people traveling for abortions or shared with agencies enforcing abortion restrictions in other states. (Source)