Articles
What the Flock?
An index of reporting, court records, and public filings showing what happens beyond Flock's public-safety claims. These are the documented problems, mistakes, and abuses that can be easy to miss when the story comes only from the vendor or the agencies using the cameras.
114 articles · page 1 of 6 · RSS
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"I'm glad they are coming down": Excelsior Springs covers all 15 Flock cameras with trash bags
kshb.com
Excelsior Springs, Missouri covered all 15 of its Flock Safety cameras with trash bags one day after the City Council unanimously approved an ordinance cutting funding and directing termination of the contract within 30 days. Residents gathered more than 1,000 petition signatures opposing the cameras. Police Chief Gregory Dull said he was disappointed to lose a tool used to help crime victims and believed privacy safeguards were adequate.
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Sterling Heights leaders weigh future of Flock Safety cameras amid privacy concerns
clickondetroit.com
Sterling Heights, Michigan, council members debated renewing a Flock Safety contract covering 23 cameras at 19 locations, costing just over $84,000 a year and paid for with state criminal forfeiture funds. Police cited monthly audits, a 30-day retention period, 362 searches in the prior month, and solved robberies and an attempted homicide. Residents cited alleged Flock policy violations in Eastpointe and Oakland County. The council voted 4-3 to renew.
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Cops left the force. They kept tracking people with a powerful camera network.
yahoo.com
A Washington Post investigation documented at least 11 incidents in which unauthorized users accessed Flock license plate reader databases, including former officers whose log-ins were never deactivated and officers who shared credentials across agencies. Several cases involved tracking spouses or ex-partners, leading to criminal charges in Georgia and Indianapolis. Former employees said Flock resisted requiring multi-factor authentication to avoid friction in winning police contracts.
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Toledo council fails to reach votes needed to take up Flock camera resolution
13abc.com
Toledo City Council did not reach the nine votes required to take up a resolution under suspension urging the mayor to end the city's agreements with Flock Safety. The measure also called for removing or deactivating Flock equipment and deleting Flock data. Five council members voted against consideration, delaying the resolution for two weeks.
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South Windsor Pulls Plug On Flock Cameras After 6-3 Council Vote
hoodline.com
South Windsor, Connecticut's Town Council voted 6-3 to end its Flock Safety contract and remove eight license plate readers within 60 days, with collected data to be purged. No resident spoke in favor at the public hearing. The police chief said the system aided more than 100 arrests. Other Connecticut towns including Windsor, Killingworth and East Lyme have also paused or ended Flock use.
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More Texas Cities End Flock Agreements, Cover Cameras
texasscorecard.com
Hewitt ended its Flock Safety contract and Kyle's council voted 4-3 to cover its cameras, with Hewitt's city manager citing Governor Greg Abbott's pause on state funding and permits for ALPRs on state roads. Kyle residents may vote on a non-binding ballot question in May 2027. A former Lufkin officer received five years for 25,000 non-law-enforcement Flock searches.
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Kyle Council Rejects Flock Contract Termination, Sets Up 2027 Ballot Fight
hoodline.com
Kyle, Texas councilmembers voted 6-1 against terminating the city's three Flock Safety contracts, then voted 4-3 to cover the cameras pending a nonbinding May 2027 ballot question. The city lost a $205,000 state grant after Texas rescinded Flock funding, and at least 14 Texas jurisdictions shut off over 900 cameras. Police reported no misuse complaints; a 2025 Austin audit flagged contract terms permitting outside agency data access.
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Fayetteville City Council approves ban on automatic license plate readers
nwaonline.com
The Fayetteville, Arkansas city council voted 7-0 to adopt an ordinance prohibiting the purchase and use of automated license plate readers, a preemptive measure since the police department owns none. The police chief said he would prefer safeguards over a ban, citing security, accuracy and misuse problems. Researchers on a panel described federal "side door access" to shared ALPR databases and inconsistent retention and sharing rules across states.
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Milford Village Council votes 7-0 to remove Flock Safety license plate cameras after resident concerns
clickondetroit.com
The Village of Milford, Michigan, voted 7-0 not to renew its Flock Safety contract, removing its remaining 10 license plate cameras after an earlier June decision ended a contract for five others. Residents held weekly protests and gathered more than 600 petition signatures. The police chief said the cameras helped solve crimes but cited vendor responsiveness, outages, and vandalism as reasons to end the partnership.
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Sanders and AOC Target Flock Cameras With Bill to Ban Federal License Plate Tracking
hoodline.com
Senators Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Ban Flock Act, which would bar federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers, pause federal grants to jurisdictions with ALPR contracts, and allow lawsuits over federal use. The piece compiles competing camera counts, cancellations by dozens of localities, rival bills from Thomas Massie and Josh Hawley, and misuse cases including officers charged with tracking ex-partners.
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Oregon lawmakers could ban Flock, automated license plate reading cameras in 2027
klcc.org
Two Oregon legislators, a Portland Democrat and a Republican from Winston, plan to introduce a 2027 bill banning automated license plate readers, following Senate Bill 1516, which capped police retention at 30 days and let residents sue vendors. Law enforcement groups and a Flock spokesperson defend the technology, while the article notes misuse reports, a wrongful 13-day jailing in Florida, and actions in other states.
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Federal Judge Rules a Flock Search Was ‘Indiscriminate Mass Surveillance’ and Unconstitutional
404media.co
A federal judge in Oklahoma ruled that a deputy violated a driver's Fourth Amendment rights by searching her plate in Flock's license plate reader network solely because the car had California tags, then using the resulting month of travel records to justify a vehicle search. Judge Sara Hill called the network a form of indiscriminate mass surveillance and suppressed the evidence. Flock said it expects the non-binding ruling to be overturned.
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Harris County Judge Hopefuls Clash Over $868,975 Flock Camera Deal
hoodline.com
Four candidates for Harris County judge gave differing answers on whether to renew the county's $868,975 Flock Safety contract, which runs through June 2027. The article notes Harris County has paid Flock about $1.3 million since 2023, that Governor Abbott froze state funding for Flock cameras, and that officers in Katy and Pasadena faced charges or license surrender over unauthorized searches.
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Cle Elum covers city Flock cameras after council vote
nbcrightnow.com
Cle Elum, Washington began covering its five city-owned Flock cameras with trash bags after the City Council voted 3-2 not to renew the contract, which expired days later. Mayor Matthew Lundh said the cameras, bought two years earlier with a Department of Justice grant, remained active without a subscription. The police chief had recommended keeping the tool. Cameras outside city limits tied to the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office remain operating.
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Lansing mayor pressured to pull the plug on Flock cameras
gandernewsroom.com
Five weeks after the Lansing City Council voted 7-1 on a non-binding resolution asking Mayor Andy Schor to end the city's Flock Safety contract, the 26 license plate cameras remain active. Schor's office says the city is locked in for another year and a half, declined to release the contract, and would not say whether it includes a termination fee. A council member has requested a legal opinion on banning the technology outright.
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Auburn’s Flock cameras will come down, city officials say
sunjournal.com
Auburn, Maine officials say Flock Safety is scheduling removal of license plate reader cameras about a month after the City Council terminated the contract, though no timeline exists and the city says it will remove the equipment itself if needed. Data access and sharing with other agencies ended with termination. A citizen initiative banning the technology drew 1,800 signatures and heads to a special election.
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Former Lufkin officer pleads to 5 years for 100 counts related to Flock camera misuse
kbtx.com
Former Lufkin, Texas officer Zachary Klein was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to 100 counts of misuse of official information. Prosecutors said investigators found more than 25,000 improper database searches targeting his former girlfriend, her relatives, and people she had dated. The inquiry began after USA Today questioned the department, which then ran a Flock audit. Lufkin's use of Flock cameras remains suspended.
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FDOT deadline arrives for removal of Flock cameras from state roads
mynews13.com
The Florida Department of Transportation revoked permits for license plate readers on state road rights of way on Aug. 31, setting a Sept. 30 removal deadline, citing misuse, data privacy and surveillance concerns. Several Central Florida sheriff's offices reported removing or deactivating Flock cameras, and Osceola County canceled its Flock contract. Sumter County had already suspended its system after discovering misuse by an employee.
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South Lyon ends Flock Safety contract, orders cameras covered
clickondetroit.com
The South Lyon, Michigan City Council voted 5-2 to reject renewing the city's contract with Flock Safety, directed police to stop using the automated license plate readers immediately, and ordered the camera lenses covered until the equipment is removed. South Lyon joins Ferndale, Westland and Independence Township in ending agreements with the company amid regional debate over data collection and retention policies.
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Flock cameras and privacy concerns: Where Minnesota communities stand
fox9.com
FOX 9 compiles decisions by Minnesota communities on Flock Safety license plate readers. Columbia Heights, Crystal, Duluth, North Branch, Fridley, and others have canceled, paused, or declined to renew contracts, and the University of Minnesota removed a camera after community objections. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher defends the technology, citing declines in carjackings. State law requires ALPR data destruction within 60 days absent an active investigation.