Law enforcement use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) has faced increasing physical and legal opposition as residents and advocacy groups raise privacy concerns. According to an NPR review of local news reports, Flock Safety cameras—a prominent brand of ALPR technology—have been vandalized in at least 36 states, with incidents ranging from cameras being painted or covered with stickers to poles being sawed down or shot.
Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based technology company, reported that more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies currently use its AI-powered systems to track vehicle movements. The advocacy group DeFlock estimates there are more than 130,000 such readers nationwide, capturing billions of data points monthly. While police officials, including Jeff Potts of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, state the cameras are helpful for locating stolen vehicles and missing persons, critics argue the systems enable unauthorized surveillance and have been subject to documented misuse.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Policing Project at New York University have highlighted instances where officers used the data to stalk individuals or share information for immigration enforcement without local consent. Additionally, a 2024 analysis by a Roseville, California, police department found that the technology misread license plates in 71% of the alerts sent to officers. In response to these concerns, Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley stated the company recently updated its software to shorten data storage recommendations and cut off access to officers who appear to be misusing the tool.
For the average citizen, this technology changes the nature of public privacy, as law enforcement can now retrospectively track a vehicle's location history at any given time. While proponents cite a preliminary study suggesting the cameras can deter car theft, the recorded high error rate—71% in one California audit—means individuals may face police stops based on incorrect automated alerts. The pushback has led to concrete policy changes in at least 100 cities, where local governments have either deactivated the cameras or canceled their service contracts with providers like Flock Safety.
The next steps in this debate involve both legislative oversight and continued grassroots activity. DeFlock is currently concluding a National Week of Action, which includes protests and legal advocacy efforts scheduled through Saturday. As more municipalities review their surveillance policies, the precedent for how long data is stored and who can access it remains a central point of contention between privacy advocates and law enforcement agencies. Flock Safety continues to maintain its annual conference this week to address these transparency concerns with its client agencies.