Surveillance

Last week, Cottonwood and Payson joined nine other communities in Arizona in cutting ties with Flock over privacy violation and law-enforcement misuse concerns. Queen Creek will keep its Flock program, but with tighter guardrails.

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.

Youngtown, Arizona, has a Flock camera installed on almost every block. The town's mayor, Michael Lavault, says they've been great for stopping crime.

Progressive nonprofit NextGen America shows that 85% of Arizonans are concerned of police misuse of Flock data.

The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, or AZ-POST, has authority to decertify police officers. Officials in two cities say officers who resigned over use of license plate readers have been referred to the agency.

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.