Overview
- Tempe turned off its Flock automated license‑plate reader system and said on Wednesday, Aug. 26, that it will end the contract and will not replace the technology because of the risk of improper use.
- An AI‑powered audit tool required by Flock flagged a Shively, Kentucky officer who used the system for 2,048 searches to track an ex‑partner and that officer was arrested on criminal charges this week.
- Oviedo, Florida police used a 3D‑printed decoy camera in a sting and charged a man with three felonies after he cut down the fake device even though the mayor said she was unaware of the operation.
- A Stow, Massachusetts officer resigned on the eve of a termination hearing after an internal probe found multiple improper Flock searches and the town has severed its contract with the company.
- Flock recently rolled out mandatory audit tools and shorter default data retention but dozens of localities — about 92 in a new tracking database — have paused or ended contracts and questions remain about cross‑jurisdiction access, independent oversight, and how vandalism and misuse will be prosecuted.