More Arizona cities and counties are reconsidering or ending their use of Flock license plate readers over concerns of officer misuse or other unnamed "anomalies." But one Arizona mayor is standing by the technology.
Several miles northwest of Phoenix between the Agua Fria River and the U.S. 60 sits Youngtown, Arizona. The 7,000 person town has 40 Flock cameras installed across 1 and a half square miles — almost one on every block.
Youngtown’s mayor, Michael Lavault, says the town’s experience with the system has been “really, entirely positive. We’ve solved a number of crimes because of the ability to read license plates of vehicles coming in and out of the community.”
He says this has mostly helped with stopping auto thefts.
But not everyone is in support. More than half of Arizonans polled by NextGen Polling said they oppose the use of automated license plate readers like Flock cameras. Over 80% said they’re concerned about officer misuse of the systems.
Four Arizona cities are investigating potential misuse of their Flock systems by police staff. Among those, an Apache Junction officer ended up resigning, after it came to light he’d used the systems to track his wife.
The Institute for Justice runs a database tracking cases of Flock camera abuse. So far, it has documented more than 100 incidents nationwide. You can also see which communities are suspending or ending Flock contracts at deflock.org.
As Lavault sees it, other officers’ misuse should not impact how other communities choose to use the technology.
“Let’s fix the abuse, make sure it doesn’t happen again and you know, move on with the system that’s working very well,” he said.
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In the past month, four metro Phoenix police agencies have launched investigations into potential officer misuse of automated license plate readers. And the same number of Valley cities have shut off their systems or canceled contracts. -
The Surprise Police Department has cleared an officer after an investigation into suspected misuse of a Flock’s camera data. -
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and her gubernatorial opponent, GOP Congressman Andy Biggs, sparred at a public safety forum on Tuesday over his response to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. -
Tempe officials say they will not seek another company to replace the system. In Cave Creek, officials say all Flock cameras were removed after one was stolen. -
Progressive nonprofit NextGen America shows that 85% of Arizonans are concerned of police misuse of Flock data. -
In consecutive weekdays, four metro Phoenix police departments have announced internal investigations into misuse of controversial license plate readers, also known as LPRs.
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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. -
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. -
Tempe says the change is in response to privacy concerns expressed by the community and recent incidents with the automated license plate readers. -
Apache Junction police say one of their own officers improperly used controversial technology known as license plate readers and is now off the force.
