Flock audits provide look into why cameras are searched

Our Take

Credit to Zach Prelutsky and Arizona's Family for doing what most agencies won't: actually reading the audit logs. Flock loves to point to its 'Audit Assistance' feature as proof the system polices itself, but this reporting shows the real story only comes out when a reporter files a records request and cross-checks searches against stated reasons. That a 30-day snapshot from just two Valley departments turned up enough red flags to help push multiple agencies to cancel their contracts tells you the audit trail was never the deterrent Flock marketed it as.

This is the pattern we keep documenting nationwide: a network built on the promise of 'officer accountability' that only becomes accountable when outside pressure forces transparency. Audits sitting in a database do nothing if no one is required to review them, and 'unusual activity' flags mean little when the penalty for abuse is often just a stern email. Departments walking away from Flock after seeing their own data isn't a win for oversight — it's an admission that the guardrails sold to city councils and taxpayers weren't real in practice.

If you live in a jurisdiction running these cameras, don't wait for a local newsroom to file the records request for you. Check our camera map to see what's already been deployed near you, and use our take-action resources to push your council or police commission for the same kind of audit transparency Arizona's Family had to fight to get.