Chandler halts use of Flock cameras | FOX 10 Phoenix

Our Take

Notice the pattern here: it's never a proactive audit that catches these systems, it's always a scandal that forces the issue. Chandler PD only 'paused' its Flock network after an internal investigation into misuse was already underway, and Chief Bryan Chapman's line that 'no one's privacy has been compromised' is doing a lot of heavy lifting for a case he admits he can't discuss. That's not reassurance, that's a press strategy.

This is the core problem with ALPR networks: they run on trust, but the entire selling point of these cameras is that nobody's watching until suddenly someone decides to watch you, your ex, your neighbor, or a local reporter. Flock markets itself as a tool for solving car thefts and Amber Alerts, but the access logs are only as good as the humans who never get audited until it's too late. Credit to FOX 10 Phoenix for getting the chief on record squirming through a non-answer, because that's exactly the kind of local accountability reporting this beat needs more of.

Chandler residents who've been raising concerns about these cameras for a while now have every reason to feel vindicated, not surprised. If you want to know whether a similar system is watching your daily commute, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back on your own city council, our take-action page has the tools to start.