Flock Safety, a major provider of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, has introduced new mandatory safeguards for its system. The changes aim to curb alleged misuse by police officers, including tracking individuals for personal reasons or conducting searches unrelated to criminal investigations. The USA Herald reported on these developments, which were announced on August 13.
For drivers, these changes mean a push for more accountability in how their vehicle data is accessed and used by law enforcement. Flock Safety's network includes approximately 120,000 cameras across 49 states, used by over 6,000 law enforcement agencies.
What are the new rules for ALPR data access?
The updated policies introduce several requirements for law enforcement agencies using Flock Safety cameras. These are designed to create a clearer record of why officers access information and to identify suspicious activity.
- Every vehicle search must include a specific case code.
- Searches must identify the type of offense involved.
- The audit-assistance tool, previously optional, is now mandatory for all customers.
This audit tool helps identify unusual search patterns, such as repeated searches of the same license plate or clusters of searches at unusual hours. Users flagged for suspicious activity can be locked out pending administrative review.
How will data retention change?
Flock Safety is also reducing the standard data retention period. This directly impacts how long your vehicle's location data might be stored.
- Standard data retention will decrease from 30 days to seven days.
- Exceptions apply for data connected to active investigations, which can be placed into "evidence mode" and retained longer under a specific case number.
Additionally, law enforcement departments now have more control over data sharing. One department can restrict other agencies from searching its cameras for certain types of investigations, for example, blocking searches for immigration-related offenses while allowing those for kidnapping or vehicle theft.
These changes follow several reported cases of ALPR misuse. In Georgia, for instance, a police chief was arrested for allegedly using ALPRs to harass and stalk individuals. In Arizona, the city of Chandler ended its contract with Flock Safety after an "anomaly" in camera use was identified, and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office did not renew its contract due to Fourth Amendment concerns. An officer in Apache Junction, Arizona, resigned after an investigation into allegations he tracked his wife using department cameras.
These incidents highlight the ongoing tension between public safety and privacy concerns surrounding ALPR technology. Flock Safety maintains that its cameras assist in solving crimes, citing that in July alone, its cameras helped police solve about 1,000 missing-person cases and 22,000 stolen-vehicle cases. However, the company also acknowledges that misuse of law enforcement databases is not new, stating, "A search without a reason is a search that shouldn't happen in the first place."
Drivers interested in seeing where these cameras are located can visit our /map to learn more about surveillance in their area. The next step for these new safeguards will be their implementation across the thousands of law enforcement agencies using Flock Safety's systems.