Topic
National
National reporting or another state.
114 articles · page 3 of 6 · RSS
-
City Council discusses affordable housing overhaul, introduces license plate reader ban
idsnews.com
The Bloomington City Council introduced Ordinance 2026-22, which would bar the city and its agents from acquiring or using automated license plate reader technology and from sharing surveillance camera data with third parties. The measure follows a March 2026 resolution on ALPR transparency, the city's April decision not to renew its Flock Safety contract after an investigation, and Monroe County's July termination of its own Flock contract. A vote is planned Oct. 14.
-
Three More Cities End Flock Partnerships
seehafernews.com
Waukesha, Oconomowoc, and Racine each voted to end their contracts with Flock Safety's automated license plate reader program. Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said the technology assists in solving crimes but that public trust and transparency matter as well. The report notes other departments in Wisconsin are reviewing privacy protections and vendor practices tied to automated camera systems.
-
Sen. Wyden presses Flock CEO over allegations of surveillance platform abuse
ktvz.com
Senators Ron Wyden and Adam Schiff sent a letter to Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley demanding answers about unauthorized use of the company's license plate reader network, including tracking of reproductive health travel and warrantless immigration searches. The letter cites a Washington Post analysis finding at least 50 officers charged or accused of misusing the system, and instructs Flock to preserve records.
-
Hackers Stole Flock’s Camera Software, Revealing How the Company Tracks Cars and People
404media.co
Hackers removed a Flock camera, copied its storage, and recovered an on-device encryption key, sharing the files with 404 Media and WIRED. Analysis showed the software explicitly detects people as well as vehicles, plates, and bicycles, and logged about 50,200 vehicles and 1.6 million images over roughly 21 days. Reporters found no active face recognition, and the plate detector sometimes cropped bumper stickers and a flag patch.
-
BREAKING: County Board votes to end Arlington’s use of Flock cameras
arlnow.com
The Arlington County Board voted to discontinue use of 41 county-leased Flock Safety devices, 26 license plate readers and 15 pan-tilt-zoom cameras, and to begin removing the equipment within 14 business days. Data not tied to active investigations will be deleted. The program, costing $106,250 plus a $93,000 annual fee, was never formally presented to the Board and drew resident-led opposition campaigns.
-
Boston drivers’ data left unsecured during Flock pilot due to vendor ‘error,’ city officials say
boston.com
Boston's 2025 annual surveillance report states that three days into a 45-camera Flock pilot, police found the nationwide data-sharing feature had been enabled by the vendor in error despite a contract barring sharing. BPD ordered it disabled and says it will not use Flock again. The report logged 15 watchlist requests, 12 approved, and no internal misuse complaints. More than 20 Massachusetts communities have ended or suspended Flock contracts.
-
El Paso City Council to vote Tuesday on removing Flock cameras
kfoxtv.com
El Paso City Council is set to vote on directing the city manager to remove all Flock license plate reader cameras from city-controlled property within 60 days, and on a second item requiring council approval for any future ALPR contracts. The city's 150 cameras were funded by the state Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, and the police department halted use after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a funding pause amid misuse and privacy concerns.
-
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.
-
Liberty Hill City Council votes unanimously to end Flock Safety contract
cbsaustin.com
The Liberty Hill, Texas city council voted 7-0 to terminate its Flock Safety agreement, bar renewal in October, remove cameras under city jurisdiction and avoid future mass surveillance technology. Council members cited concerns over how license plate data is captured, stored and shared. Bastrop, Leander, Manor and Pflugerville have recently ended or moved to end Flock use, and Austin and San Marcos stopped in 2025.
-
Pa. lawmakers eye limits, outright ban on Flock cameras as they prepare for fall return
witf.org
Pennsylvania lawmakers from both parties have introduced at least nine bills to restrict or ban automated license plate readers, seven of them within six weeks, and both candidates for governor oppose the cameras. Proposals range from an outright ban to warrant requirements and local opt-outs. The Department of General Services is removing Flock from the COSTARS state contracting portal, while police chiefs and district attorneys oppose a blanket ban.
-
Wisconsin’s Flock Fight Just Became a Fourth Amendment Case
pjmedia.com
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty sued Waukesha County and 11 municipalities, asking a court to rule that police need a warrant before searching Flock Safety's vehicle location database. The complaint says Muskego police ran over 300 searches in one month while outside agencies ran more than 900,000 searches involving Muskego's nine cameras. Stevens Point suspended its cameras, and other municipalities are reconsidering contracts.
-
Toledo council to unveil plan to audit Flock camera system
13abc.com
Toledo City Council members plan to introduce legislation calling for an audit of the city's more than 100 Flock license plate reader cameras. Councilman Mac Driscoll wants the system paused during the review, citing resident concerns about data use, while Councilman John Hobbs III argues it should keep running absent proof of local misuse. No improper searches have been reported in Toledo or Lucas County.
-
Oconomowoc Moves to Kill $18,000 Flock Camera Deal Amid Statewide Backlash
hoodline.com
Oconomowoc's Common Council is set to vote on cutting $18,000 from its budget, which would end the city's six Flock Safety license plate cameras after three years. The article compiles related Wisconsin developments: two former Milwaukee officers charged with using Flock to track ex-partners, a wrongful gunpoint stop caused by a stale alert, and contract terminations in Menasha, Stoughton, Sheboygan, and Fond du Lac County.
-
Manvel City Council Votes Unanimously To End Flock Safety Contract
texasscorecard.com
Manvel, Texas council members voted 6-0 to cancel the city's Flock Safety contract and cover its 16 license plate reader cameras within 48 hours. Mayor Dan Davis said 535 outside agencies retained access to the city's camera network after 149 were cut. A Flock representative said camera data helps train the company's AI. Police reported 138 department searches in a monthly audit with no sign of misuse.
-
Sheboygan votes to end Flock contract amid data concerns
wbay.com
The Sheboygan Common Council voted unanimously to end the city's contract with Flock Safety, effective at year's end, after officials said they found contract violations related to data management and sharing. The city had already covered its 15 cameras in August. Racine County, Fond du Lac County, Manitowoc, Kenosha and Winnebago County have also paused or ended agreements, while Milwaukee tightened access policies and launched transparency portals.
-
Lebanon shuts off Flock cameras after company fails to reply to letter with concerns
wvxu.org
Lebanon, Ohio, council voted to immediately shut off and cover 20 Flock Safety license plate readers after the company did not answer a mayoral letter containing 54 questions about data retention and access within 21 days. Officials cited Mountain View's discovery of a changed nationwide search setting and a reported offer to sell five years of data to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. A motion to terminate the contract failed 4-3.
-
Bastrop City Council votes to terminate Flock contract, prevent similar cameras in the future
kbtx.com
Bastrop, Texas, city council voted to immediately end its contract with Flock Safety and to bar future automated license plate reader contracts in the city. Residents had pushed for removal after the cameras were covered the prior week. The report notes Texas Gov. Greg Abbott paused funding for the cameras and Sen. Lois Kolkhorst called for a ban, with College Station scheduled to vote September 24.
-
New Bedford Councilor Burgo Moves To End Current Plate-Reader Contract
newbedfordguide.com
Councilor-at-Large Shane Burgo has proposed an ordinance letting New Bedford's automated license plate reader agreement expire and barring purchases, renewals, or expansions of mass location-tracking tools without a council hearing, published privacy study, data rules, and vote. The draft would disclose camera sites, generally require a warrant or case number for searches, ban data sales and most federal or out-of-state sharing, and mandate annual audits. Police suspended the Flock system in August during an audit and misconduct investigations.
-
Flock worker calls police on ANF chief investigator filming public camera installation
walb.com
Atlanta News First reported that a Flock Safety installer called 911 after investigative reporter Brendan Keefe filmed a camera being upgraded on a public street in Milton, Georgia, leading to a 17-minute traffic stop by three police units. A separate June call brought police to YouTube creators filming outside a Flock distribution center. Flock said staff may contact police over safety concerns and barred media from its customer conference.
-
Flock Safety Hit With Nationwide Class-Action Lawsuit Over Police Stalking
motorbiscuit.com
A federal class-action suit, Schulte v. Flock Group Inc., filed in Georgia, alleges Flock failed to safeguard its 120,000-camera license plate reader network against misuse by police. The complaint cites an investigation finding at least 50 officers accused of ALPR misuse, 46 involving Flock, and fired officers retaining access because multi-factor authentication was optional. Flock says it has now made MFA mandatory.