Tempe police chief defends Flock license plate readers amid privacy concerns

Our Take

Whenever a police chief goes on camera to "defend" a surveillance program, it's usually because the public pushback is working. Credit ABC15's Zander Adams for pressing Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy on Flock's automated license plate readers instead of just running a press-release segment. But notice what these defenses almost never include: hard numbers on how many agencies outside Tempe can query the data, how long plate scans sit in the system, or an independent audit of misuse. "Trust us, it's for solving crimes" is a policy position, not a safeguard.

Flock's own network effect is the point — a camera in Tempe doesn't just watch Tempe, it feeds a searchable database that can be pulled by agencies statewide or beyond, often with little public visibility into who's asking and why. Chiefs can say the right things about accountability, but audio trails and access logs matter a lot more than a soundbite. That's the gap between "we take privacy seriously" and actual, enforceable limits on data sharing and retention.

If you live in the Valley or anywhere else in the country, check our camera map to see what's already watching your daily commute, and head to take-action for concrete steps to push your city council for real transparency instead of reassurances.