The Flagstaff City Council will discuss whether it should keep a camera system mounted on city streets on Tuesday. It's popular with police but not some residents. It was also opposed by leaders of neighboring cities.
At issue is an automated license plate reader system the city purchased from Flock Safety. The city mounted 32 throughout Flagstaff, and officials say police have used them in the arrest of a local homicide suspect and to help catch a fatal hit-and-run driver.
Twenty-five residents have signed onto a petition to have the city end its agreement with Flock Safety in order to "free Flagstaff from invasive surveillance."
Brendan Trachsel led the petition and said he's concerned the system is ripe for abuse.
"The taxpayers are funding a system that allows the government essentially to have dragnet surveillance for the people on their daily movements on main thoroughfares," he said.
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The American Civil Liberties Union is dropping its bid to block enforcement of a new law that lets state and local police arrest some border crossers. -
In consecutive weekdays, four metro Phoenix police departments have announced internal investigations into misuse of controversial license plate readers, also known as LPRs. -
Investigations over Flock cameras in Arizona police departments are stacking up, and more cities and counties are pausing or changing their contracts. Sheriff Ross Teeple of Pinal County is one of them. -
Attorney General Kris Mayes is warning residents about cryptocurrency ATM scams that have been targeting residents around the state. The scam works by a person transferring money to the scammers through crypto ATMs found outside gas stations and grocery stores. -
Police departments in the East and West Valley this week have unveiled internal investigations into officer misuse of AI surveillance technology used to track license plates.
