EPPD has effectively halted use of Flock license plate reader system
The short version: El Paso PD reportedly pumped the brakes on its Flock ALPR system after a city rep pushed back, per KFOX14 — a reminder that local pressure works.
Our Take
Credit to KFOX14 for getting this story: El Paso Police and City Representative Chris Canales say the department has effectively halted its use of the Flock Safety camera network. We don't have the fine print on why or what "halted" means in practice — paused contract, paused data access, paused new installs — but the headline alone matters. It shows these systems aren't inevitable once they're installed. A council member asking hard questions can actually move the needle.
This is the pattern we keep seeing nationwide: a city rolls out ALPR cameras with little public debate, then someone on the inside — a rep, a civil liberties group, a reporter — starts asking who sees the data, how long it's kept, and whether it's actually solving crime or just hoovering up everyone's movements. El Paso's story is worth watching closely because "halted" is a squishy word. Departments have been known to quietly resume once the spotlight moves on, so local residents should keep pressing for specifics and a real public vote, not just a press statement.
If you're in El Paso or anywhere else wondering whether Flock cameras are already watching your commute, check our camera map to see what's nearby, and if you want to push your own city council the way Canales reportedly did, our take-action guide has the template.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of KFOX14, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.