Flock Lobbying Mayor and Gov Associations up 700 PERCENT
The short version: Flock Safety's 700% spending surge on mayor and governor associations shows a company buying political cover faster than communities can organize against it.
Our Take
Swamp Watch's reporting on Flock Safety's ballooning donations to mayors' and governors' associations tells you everything about where this fight is really happening. It's not just in city council chambers anymore — it's in the trade groups and conferences where local officials get wined, dined, and quietly nudged toward renewing ALPR contracts before their constituents even know a vote is coming.
A 700 percent jump in lobbying spend isn't defensive crouching from a company facing backlash. It's an offensive play to make sure the people who approve camera networks in your town hear from Flock's PR shop before they hear from you. When a surveillance vendor starts outspending its critics by that kind of margin, the public conversation about privacy, data retention, and police access gets drowned out at the exact moment it matters most — during budget season and contract renewals.
Credit to Swamp Watch for pulling these numbers into the light. If you want to see whether this money is paying off in cameras near you, check our map, and if your city is up for a renewal fight, our take-action guide walks through how to push back before the checks clear.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Swamp Watch, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.