Date saved: 2026-10-20 18:00 (PDT)
Sources: Times of San Diego, NPR, The Hill, USA Today, Jackson Clarion Ledger, ACLU, 404 Media, Washington Post, DeFlock
Key findings
City contract cancellations accelerate
- Times of San Diego (Oct 20, 2026): A San Diego City Council committee is set to consider a resolution to terminate the police department's use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) citywide. Councilmember Henry Foster III's resolution calls for ending the contract with Flock Safety and deleting all stored data. The ACLU Foundation of San Diego filed a lawsuit on September 30 claiming the technology violates the California Constitution's right to privacy. A council majority now favors cancellation, though Mayor Todd Gloria could veto. (Source)
- The Hill (Oct 20, 2026): Two Phoenix suburbs (Tempe and Cave Creek, Arizona) became the latest municipalities to terminate their Flock Safety contracts, with Tempe canceling an $80,000 contract and Cave Creek completely removing the technology. More than 90 cities have made moves to cancel or reject Flock ALPRs, according to antisurveillance organization DeFlock. A Washington Post investigation in early August found more than 50 law enforcement officers accused, charged, or convicted of misusing ALPRs. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) launched an investigation into Flock's national surveillance network, citing a case where an officer searched his ex-girlfriend's plate 124 times. Flock announced new privacy and data retention policies including an "Audit Assistance" feature and "proactive lockout" for abnormal behavior. (Source)
- Jackson Clarion Ledger (Oct 16, 2026): Jackson, Mississippi Police Chief RaShall Brackney announced the department will not renew its Flock contract, citing privacy concerns. The contract, approved in September 2024, was set to last at least two years. More than 20 police agencies have launched investigations, suspended or fired officers, or filed criminal charges for misusing Flock, as reported by USA TODAY. Brackney acknowledged that more than 50 officers nationwide have been charged for policy violations involving Flock license plate readers. (Source)
Police stalking and surveillance misuse exposed
- NPR (Aug 22, 2026): Flock Safety faces major backlash nationwide as communities uncover deep privacy concerns. Police can search Flock's shared national database of license plate images (including vehicles outside their own jurisdiction. In Texas, deputies used Flock data to investigate a woman suspected of traveling to have an abortion. Police officers have been found to use the technology to stalk women. Flock allows customers to control information sharing, but data has been unknowingly shared with federal immigration agencies including ICE and CBP. About 100 cities have deactivated cameras, rejected deals, or cancelled contracts. Competitors like Axon are stepping in) Denver and Longmont, Colorado signed contracts with Flock alternatives. (Source)
- USA TODAY: Reporting triggered more than 20 police agency investigations after revealing officers conducted searches not tied to law enforcement investigations, including stalking and harassment. The Washington Post documented 50+ officers accused, charged, or convicted of ALPR misuse. (Source)
- ACLU: "Get The Flock Out" campaign highlights ICE and CBP using Flock to target immigrants without warrants; Kansas police used ALPRs to pursue a man who wrote a critical op-ed; a Colorado officer wrongfully accused a woman of theft and refused to review exonerating evidence. (Source)
Legislative and political response
- Senator Josh Hawley investigation: Hawley's letter to Flock CEO Garrett Langley cited specific abuse cases and demanded information on Flock's national surveillance network, naming "abuse and misuse of personal data."
- DeFlock database: Tracks that approximately 100 cities have deactivated, rejected, or cancelled Flock ALPR contracts.
- Flock policy changes (October 2026): New "Audit Assistance" feature flags abnormal search activity; "proactive lockout" automatically suspends user access pending administrator review; updated data retention policies amid growing lawsuits.
Three years ago a city council voting to drop license-plate cameras was a curiosity. This week it is becoming the default: San Diego looks likely to join Tempe, Cave Creek and Jackson in walking away, and DeFlock's count of cities that have cancelled, rejected or deactivated Flock contracts is now past 90, while the Washington Post's tally of officers accused, charged or convicted of misusing ALPR data has passed 50.
The throughline is that the abuse was never a bug cities could train around. The same national database that let Texas deputies track a woman suspected of traveling for an abortion is the one Flock now proposes to police itself with an "Audit Assistance" feature, a fix pitched by the company that built the loophole. Senator Hawley opening an investigation into a network that maps much of the country's cars is the clearest sign yet that the politics have shifted: this is no longer a left-right fight about policing, it is a fight over whether a private company gets to index public movement.
What to watch: whether San Diego's council survives a mayoral veto, and whether Flock's competitors (now signing the cities Flock loses) keep the same data-sharing habits or actually compete on restraint.
Source links
- Times of San Diego: Council committee to discuss resolution to terminate services with Flock Safety
- NPR: As Flock battles public scrutiny, other police surveillance companies see an opening
- The Hill: Flock contract cancellations grow among cities, other localities
- Jackson Clarion Ledger: Jackson police chief to end Flock cameras contract over privacy concerns
- ACLU: Get The Flock Out
- 404 Media: Denver and Longmont sign contracts with Flock competitors