Overview
- The Los Angeles Police Department let its Flock contract lapse and is negotiating a new agreement with stricter safeguards after inspector‑general reviews raised questions about data ownership and access.
- Local officials and residents have taken direct action against devices, with Verona, Wisconsin covering cameras with trash bags and activists cutting or smashing units while some agencies hide ALPRs inside speed signs or other fixtures to prevent vandalism.
- Reporting shows a sharp contradiction between Flock marketing that promoted a software upgrade to enable live video and the CEO’s recent statement that its ALPRs only take static photos, deepening mistrust about the products’ real capabilities.
- Audits and records across jurisdictions have documented false alerts and improper searches, including an officer admitting to hundreds of unauthorized plate queries, which has prompted criminal referrals, resignations and wider policy scrutiny.
- Despite the controversy, Flock still operates thousands of cameras nationwide and privacy groups publish maps of deployments, while some cities such as Conroe have voted to retain the systems, leaving the debate over data retention, third‑party access and local rules unresolved.