Overview
- Flock Safety’s automated license‑plate readers (ALPRs) scan passing vehicles, convert plates and vehicle details into searchable records, and store that data for investigators.
- Dozens of municipalities have paused, canceled, or declined Flock contracts as local audits and community meetings raised concerns about privacy and safety.
- Prosecutors have charged and agencies have fired officers who used Flock searches for personal reasons, and public audit logs have been the main way those abuses were uncovered.
- Independent reviews and municipal audits have found high misread and false‑alert rates that have led to wrongful stops and arrests, producing safety as well as privacy harms.
- The controversy is driving policy responses: lawmakers and some police departments are proposing tighter access rules, shorter retention limits, and contract renegotiations while Flock defends its 30‑day default retention and logging safeguards.