Flock cameras
The short version: Richmond Times-Dispatch's Samuel B. Parker reports Richmond police are withholding the very Flock ALPR data they claim proves lawful use — a classic 'trust us' dodge.
Our Take
Credit to Samuel B. Parker and the Richmond Times-Dispatch for pressing on this one. When a police department says 'our data shows we're complying with the rules' and then refuses to release that data, that's not transparency — that's a press release dressed up as an audit. If the numbers were flattering, they'd be on a press conference podium already.
This is the pattern we see in city after city: Flock Safety's ALPR network gets sold to councils as a narrow tool for stolen cars and Amber Alerts, then the actual usage logs — who searched what, how often, for which cases — stay locked away from the public that's paying for the cameras and living under their gaze. Without independent access to search logs, 'compliance' is just a word police get to define for themselves.
Richmond residents deserve to see the same data their own department is citing as a shield. Until then, don't take anyone's word for it — check our camera map to see what's watching your streets, and head to take-action for ways to push your local officials toward real accountability instead of a quote in the news.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Richmond Times-Dispatch, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.