Why police are walking away from AI surveillance cameras 👀 #News
The short version: A crimenightly video spotlights LAPD's reported retreat from AI-powered camera surveillance, raising questions about why — and whether it's really over.
Our Take
Credit to crimenightly for putting a spotlight on something we don't see often enough: a police department reportedly stepping back from AI-driven camera surveillance. Whether it's budget pressure, legal risk, community pushback, or all three, when a major department like LAPD pumps the brakes on this tech, it's worth asking why — and whether "walking away" means a real policy reversal or just a quiet pause before the next vendor contract.
We've seen this pattern before with Flock Safety and similar ALPR systems: departments roll out the cameras fast, face little public debate beforehand, and only reckon with the privacy fallout after the fact. A pullback in one city doesn't mean the surveillance apparatus disappears — often it just migrates to a neighboring jurisdiction, a private HOA, or a different vendor with a friendlier sales pitch. That's exactly why tracking where these cameras actually live matters more than any single headline.
If this story makes you wonder what's already watching your own block, check our camera map to see what's been documented near you, and visit take action for concrete steps if you want your city to have the same conversation LA is reportedly having now.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of crimenightly, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.