9/16/26: Flocking to Axon (cops replace Flock cameras w/Axon, Detroit cops shoot themselves, more)

Our Take

Credit to KAWPS The Podcast for catching something easy to miss in the noise of weekly headline roundups: when a police department ditches Flock Safety for Axon, it's not a win for privacy — it's just a vendor swap. The cameras stay up, the plate scans keep flowing into searchable databases, and the only thing that changes is whose logo is on the pole. Axon, the company behind Tasers and body cams, has been muscling into the ALPR space, and that should worry anyone who thought "get rid of Flock" was the same thing as "get rid of mass surveillance."

This matters because the fight against automated plate readers can't be about brand loyalty to outrage at one company. The underlying problem is the architecture itself — a nationwide web of cameras logging where you drive, who you visit, and how often, regardless of who manufactures the box. If Axon becomes the next dominant player, expect the same fights over data retention, law enforcement sharing agreements, and mission creep that we've already seen with Flock.

Communities need to ask the real question before any contract is signed: do we want this surveillance infrastructure at all, not just which company's name is on it. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your streets, and head to take-action for tools to push back before the next vendor rolls in.