Senator Josh Hawley Investigates Flock Safety Surveillance Network

Senator Josh Hawley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, launched an investigation into Flock Safety on August 26, 2026. Hawley is examining whether the company's network of over 120,000 AI-powered cameras across 49 states has created a searchable national database of Americans' movements. He has demanded that CEO Garrett Langley provide documents by September 8 regarding the collection, retention, and dissemination of data from a system that scans over 20 billion vehicles monthly.

The investigation follows reports of systemic misuse, including a Milwaukee police officer who allegedly used the system to stalk a partner and a Florida woman who was wrongfully jailed for 13 days due to a false positive. Hawley argues that the company's internal policies are currently the only safeguards for hundreds of millions of citizens.

Simultaneously, local governments are distancing themselves from the technology. The Pflugerville City Council and Hood County Commissioners Court in Texas both voted to end their agreements and disable cameras, while Tempe, Arizona, deactivated its system citing risks of misuse. Over 140 cities have now canceled their contracts. Flock Safety stated it intends to cooperate with the subcommittee and argues that Congress should establish clear legal safeguards rather than banning the technology. The company also acknowledged a previous error where two out-of-state agencies were mistakenly included in a Texas statewide sharing network.