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Written reporting, the default format for most of the index.
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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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Mill Valley Kills Flock Cameras After Residents Cry Foul Over Data Sharing
hoodline.com
Mill Valley switched off its six Flock license plate readers and two live-feed cameras on Sept. 9 after residents questioned data sharing logged under an "other" category. City officials sought binding terms on data ownership and resale, calling Flock's assurances insufficient after the company revised its terms of use. The report notes conflicting retention figures and similar contract cancellations across Marin and other jurisdictions.
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Cops Warned to Look for ‘Suspicious Behavior’ From People Opposing Flock at City Council Meetings
404media.co
A July bulletin from the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center, obtained through a public records request, told California police that city council meetings about Flock cameras could be seen as a target by extremists while stating no specific or credible threats were found. The document listed large turnout, emotional confrontations, media presence, and social media amplification among potential public safety risks.
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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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Fullerton Council Votes 3–1 to Switch Off Flock License Plate Cameras for Six Months
fullertonobserver.com
The Fullerton City Council voted 3-1 to suspend the city's 19 Flock Safety license plate cameras for six months while it holds a town hall and reviews police ALPR policy. Police Chief Jon Radus said the program costs about $51,000 a year, retains images 30 days, and gives 135 personnel accounts, but the department has not formally tracked how often Flock contributed to solved cases.
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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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We Demand More Information on How Marin Cops Illegally Shared Flock ALPR Data
eff.org
EFF and the ACLU of Northern California sent the Marin County Sheriff's Office a demand letter and public records request after the Point Reyes Light reported that the agency gave non-California agencies access to its Flock ALPR database, including 254,131 shared searches in November 2024. The groups say this violates SB 34, SB 54, and the 2022 Lagleva settlement, and they seek an audit and penalties.
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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.