US Cities and States Cancel Flock Safety Camera Contracts

A growing number of local governments and state leaders are canceling contracts with Flock Safety, a provider of AI-powered automated license plate readers (ALPRs), amid intensifying privacy concerns. In Texas, the city of Bandera voted to terminate its contract following public backlash and camera vandalism, while the Lynchburg City Council in Virginia recently did the same. More than a dozen other Virginia localities have also halted the technology's use.

Pushback has escalated to the state level. Texas Governor Greg Abbott cut off state funding for the cameras, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis banned them on state highways to prevent private tech companies from collecting extensive data on citizens. In Idaho, the cities of Caldwell and Wilder are facing tort claims alleging that the cameras violate Fourth Amendment rights.

Law enforcement officials and company leadership defend the technology as a vital tool for public safety. Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Greg Yeager stated that ALPRs are used to locate stolen vehicles and missing persons rather than for minor traffic infractions. Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley claims the networked cameras significantly reduce crime and help locate thousands of missing people annually. Critics, however, warn that the ability to track vehicles nationally facilitates a surveillance state and can be misused for immigration enforcement.