Flock cameras help police, but critics are concerned

Our Take

Credit to InvestigateTV and reporter Brendan Keefe for doing what too few outlets bother with: asking Flock Safety's own chief communications officer to answer for how these cameras get used in practice, not just how the sales pitch describes them. The detail that stands out here isn't flashy — it's mundane and damning. A Colorado officer tied to questionable use of the system simply didn't respond to written questions, and is still on the job. That's the whole ballgame with ALPR networks: the cameras log everyone, but the explanations, when something goes wrong, are optional.

Flock likes to frame its network as a tool that only lights up when it matches a crime. But every camera is recording every plate, every driver, every trip, whether you're a suspect or just someone running to the grocery store. The gap between that marketing language and the reality of a department that won't answer basic accountability questions is exactly the kind of gap this site was built to document. Oversight isn't something companies grant out of goodwill — it has to be demanded, car by car, department by department.

If you want to see how dense this surveillance net has gotten in your own town, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back on a local deployment, our take-action page has concrete steps for showing up at council meetings and filing records requests.