Cops Misusing Flock Camera
The short version: A NO FILTER podcast clip on cops misusing a Flock camera is another reminder that ALPR networks run on trust we can't verify.
Our Take
NO FILTER podcast hosts Augi and Ant are the latest to put a spotlight on what happens when the people running Flock Safety's license plate readers don't play by the rules. We don't have the full transcript or body-cam footage in hand, so we're not going to pretend we know every detail of this specific incident. But the broader pattern is one we've documented over and over: a system marketed as a narrow tool for solving crimes keeps getting bent into something else, whether that's personal lookups, data sharing outside stated policy, or just plain sloppy oversight.
That's the core problem with ALPR networks like Flock's — they're built on a promise of accountability that almost never gets independently checked. Departments sign contracts, flip on thousands of cameras, and ask the public to trust that access logs are being audited and misuse is being caught. Videos like this one matter because they're often the only outside pressure forcing departments to admit something went wrong, since most agencies won't volunteer that information on their own.
If a Flock camera is watching your street, you deserve to know it's there and who's allowed to pull your plate history. Check our camera map to see what's been documented near you, and if you want to push back on unchecked surveillance in your town, our take-action page has concrete steps to get started.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of NO FILTER podcast with Augi and Ant, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.