Reno police chief addresses Flock camera concerns, explains license plate readers

Our Take

When a police chief goes on local news to "address concerns" about license plate readers, it's worth asking who requested the damage control in the first place. News 4 Reno deserves credit for putting these questions to the department directly, but the standard talking points — it's just for solving crimes, the data is secure, nothing to worry about — are the same script departments recite in every city that adopts Flock Safety's camera network. The reassurances rarely come with hard limits on retention, audits by independent parties, or real consequences for misuse.

Here's what doesn't make it into these segments: Flock cameras don't just watch for stolen cars or Amber Alerts. They log the plate, location, time, and travel pattern of every single vehicle that passes, whether the driver is a suspect in anything or just heading to church, a protest, or a medical appointment. That data gets stored, shared across jurisdictions, and in some cases accessed by agencies far outside the one that installed the camera. "Trust us" isn't an oversight policy — it's the absence of one.

Reno residents curious whether their own routes are already being logged can check our camera map to see what's nearby. And if you think your city council or police department should answer harder questions than the ones asked in this interview, our take-action page has tools to help you push for real transparency.