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Communities Pull Flock Cameras as Teardown Reveals Wider Surveillance

A hacker teardown and audits found cameras store millions of images and log people while records show broad agency access and data sales, prompting removals, funding pauses and new legal proposals.

A Flock Safety camera in Burbank, Calif., on Sept. 14, 2026.
Traffic flows past an Axon-brand automatic license plate reader in the median of 16th Street near the border of Maryland and the District of Columbia in Silver Spring, Md., on Aug. 19, 2026. 
A Flock Safety camera is seen at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Gisler Avenue in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Aug. 17, 2026.
A Flock Safety camera in Burbank, Calif., on Sept. 14, 2026. 

Overview

  • This week multiple local councils voted to end or review Flock Safety contracts, with Waukesha, Oconomowoc, Racine and Eastpointe among those moving to remove cameras or pause programs.
  • A hacker collective that dismantled a Flock unit and independent analysts reported the device stored millions of images, logged people and objects, and exposed recoverable data and encryption weaknesses.
  • State actions have forced changes to deployments, with Texas pausing funding and Dallas notifying Flock it will deactivate 321 state‑funded cameras while the department seeks new funding sources.
  • Some cities and police officials have defended Flock as a key investigative tool that helped solve violent crimes and recover stolen vehicles, and a few jurisdictions like Carrollton recently renewed contracts.
  • Elected officials and advocates are pressing legal fixes, proposing felony penalties for misuse, warrant requirements for searches, legislative hearings and federal bills to limit funding or access.