Topic # Does it work? Evidence on whether these systems actually reduce crime. [Does it work? ×](https://flock-truth.com/articles?sort=newest) [Reset](https://flock-truth.com/topic/effectiveness) **6** articles · [RSS](https://flock-truth.com/feed.xml) The Federalist · Jay Rogers · September 11, 2026 ## [Flock Cameras Are The New Patriot Act](https://thefederalist.com/2026/09/11/flock-cameras-are-the-new-patriot-act/) thefederalist.com An opinion piece traces the funding and legal lineage of automated license plate readers to post-9/11 surveillance programs, noting DHS grant channels and fusion centers that finance local purchases. It cites a Norfolk lawsuit showing one driver logged 526 times in four months, a California class action over federal and ICE access through a described side door, and an August 2026 study finding vehicle theft fell about 11 percent with no detectable gain in recoveries. [Article](https://flock-truth.com/topic/article) [Courts & lawsuits](https://flock-truth.com/topic/legal) [Data sharing](https://flock-truth.com/topic/data-sharing) [Does it work?](https://flock-truth.com/topic/effectiveness) [Flock Safety](https://flock-truth.com/topic/flock-safety) [License plate readers](https://flock-truth.com/topic/alpr) [National](https://flock-truth.com/topic/national) [Warrantless searches](https://flock-truth.com/topic/no-warrant) --- Gizmodo · AJ Dellinger · July 31, 2026 ## [Flock Cameras Got the Wrong License Plate 71% of the Time in California City](https://gizmodo.com/flock-cameras-got-the-wrong-license-plate-71-of-the-time-in-california-city-2000793483) gizmodo.com An analysis reported by Business Insider found that of 1,427 Flock camera alerts sent to Roseville, California police between 2023 and 2024, 71% of stolen-vehicle or felony-related alerts involved misread plates. Flock attributed the errors to older hardware and non-standard camera placement, a claim Roseville police dispute. The city has spent roughly $450,000; the Institute for Justice has documented at least 27 wrongful stops nationally. [Article](https://flock-truth.com/topic/article) [Contracts & cost](https://flock-truth.com/topic/contracts-cost) [Does it work?](https://flock-truth.com/topic/effectiveness) [False hits](https://flock-truth.com/topic/false-positives) [Flock Safety](https://flock-truth.com/topic/flock-safety) [License plate readers](https://flock-truth.com/topic/alpr) [Statewide](https://flock-truth.com/topic/state) --- NorCal Public Media · June 4, 2026 ## [As license plate readers expand, North Bay communities debate the meaning of public safety](https://norcalpublicmedia.org/20260604101181/news-feed/as-license-plate-readers-expand-north-bay-communities-debate-the-meaning-of-public-safety) norcalpublicmedia.org NorCal Public Media reports on the widening North Bay argument over automated license plate readers, covering how cities in and around Sonoma County have weighed police claims about solved cases against residents' objections to continuous vehicle tracking. [Article](https://flock-truth.com/topic/article) [Community pushback](https://flock-truth.com/topic/community-response) [Does it work?](https://flock-truth.com/topic/effectiveness) [Flock Safety](https://flock-truth.com/topic/flock-safety) [License plate readers](https://flock-truth.com/topic/alpr) [Our County](https://flock-truth.com/topic/local) [Privacy](https://flock-truth.com/topic/privacy) --- Sonoma Index-Tribune · Emma Molloy · March 31, 2026 ## [Sonoma City Council extends Flock contract for automated license plate readers](https://www.sonomanews.com/2026/03/31/sonoma-city-council-extends-flock-contract-for-automated-license-plate-readers/) sonomanews.com Sonoma's city council voted unanimously on 30 March 2026 to extend its Flock Safety contract three years through September 2028 at up to $50,500 annually, covering 16 cameras. Police Chief Brandon Cutting cited a September 2025 home invasion solved with the system and said data deletes after 30 days. The council separately approved $224,000 for Verkada cameras at city facilities. [Article](https://flock-truth.com/topic/article) [Contracts & cost](https://flock-truth.com/topic/contracts-cost) [Data retention](https://flock-truth.com/topic/retention) [Does it work?](https://flock-truth.com/topic/effectiveness) [Flock Safety](https://flock-truth.com/topic/flock-safety) [License plate readers](https://flock-truth.com/topic/alpr) [Our County](https://flock-truth.com/topic/local) --- OPB · Chris Lehman · December 6, 2025 ## [Eugene and Springfield both announce end of Flock camera usage](https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/06/eugene-springfield-end-flock-cameras/) opb.org Eugene and Springfield, Oregon, announced they are ending use of Flock Safety license plate cameras, citing unspecified vulnerabilities and limitations affecting data security and operational control. Eugene terminated its contract outright, while Springfield will remove cameras that were never activated but said it may seek another ALPR vendor. Opponents cited federal surveillance risks; police had credited the cameras with faster stolen-vehicle recoveries. [Article](https://flock-truth.com/topic/article) [Community pushback](https://flock-truth.com/topic/community-response) [Contracts & cost](https://flock-truth.com/topic/contracts-cost) [Does it work?](https://flock-truth.com/topic/effectiveness) [Flock Safety](https://flock-truth.com/topic/flock-safety) [License plate readers](https://flock-truth.com/topic/alpr) [National](https://flock-truth.com/topic/national) --- Journal of Experimental Criminology · Koper, Lum, Wu, Johnson and Stoltz ## [Do license plate readers enhance the initial and residual deterrent effects of police patrol? A quasi-randomized test](https://nij.ojp.gov/library/publications/do-license-plate-readers-enhance-initial-and-residual-deterrent-effects-police) nij.ojp.gov A 2021 randomized field experiment assigned license plate readers to some hot-spot patrols and not others, analyzing 785 patrols across 33 locations. Stolen vehicle recoveries rose, but arrests did not, and the readers produced no measurable drop in calls for service during or after patrols. The authors found little clear evidence that ALPRs prevent crime in general patrol. [Article](https://flock-truth.com/topic/article) [Does it work?](https://flock-truth.com/topic/effectiveness) [License plate readers](https://flock-truth.com/topic/alpr) [National](https://flock-truth.com/topic/national) --- _Machine readable version of https://flock-truth.com/topic/effectiveness. The interactive map and article filters are HTML only._