Why LAPD temporarily dropped Flock cameras, plus understanding police chases
The short version: NBCLA reports LAPD hit pause on its Flock ALPR program amid scrutiny, a reminder that public pressure can force even big departments to rethink surveillance deals.
Our Take
Credit to NBCLA for digging into why the LAPD backed away from its Flock Safety camera network, even if just for now. When one of the largest police departments in the country hits pause on a surveillance rollout, that's not a small thing — it usually means someone asked the right questions about data sharing, retention, and who actually gets to see where your car has been.
We don't know the full internal reasoning here, and we're not going to guess at details the video doesn't spell out. But the pattern is familiar: departments adopt ALPR networks quickly, often with little public debate, then face pushback once residents and journalists start asking how the footage is used, who it's shared with, and whether it violates sanctuary city promises or other local policies. A "temporary" drop can mean genuine reconsideration — or it can mean a pause before a rebrand. Worth watching closely.
This is exactly why documentation matters. If you want to see what's already deployed near you, check our camera map, and if you want to push back on a Flock contract in your own city, our take-action page has the tools to start.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of NBCLA, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.