Why did LAPD Get Rid of Flock Cameras? #Police #Law #Safety
The short version: A law-enforcement-focused channel flags LAPD's suspension of Flock cameras, a sign that even pro-police outlets are noticing cracks in the ALPR rollout.
Our Take
It says something when a channel called First Responders Law — not exactly known for skepticism toward police tech — is asking why LAPD pumped the brakes on Flock cameras. We don't know all the internal reasoning yet, and we're not going to speculate beyond what's been reported, but the fact that a department as large and surveillance-friendly as LAPD hit pause is notable on its own. Whether it's about cost, data governance, audit failures, or public backlash, it's one more data point that "just trust us, it's for officer safety" isn't holding up to scrutiny everywhere Flock has planted cameras.
These systems get sold to city councils as a quiet convenience for first responders, but the bigger picture is a nationwide network logging the movements of ordinary drivers who've done nothing wrong. When even the agencies touting the "valuable information" angle start reconsidering the deal, it's worth asking local officials the same hard questions: who sees this data, how long is it kept, and who's actually watching the watchers.
If you want to see whether Flock or similar ALPR cameras are already running in your area, check our map, and if you'd rather not wait for your department to quietly walk back a surveillance contract, head to take action and push your city council now.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of First Responders Law, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.