Why LAPD Just Dumped This AI Surveillance Giant
The short version: A Career Technology Institute video says LAPD cut ties with Flock Safety, spotlighting how even big police departments are questioning ALPR vendors' costs, data practices, and oversight gaps.
Our Take
Career Technology Institute's breakdown of LAPD's reported break with Flock Safety is worth a watch, and it lines up with something we've been saying for a while: these contracts aren't as bulletproof as the surveillance industry likes to pretend. When a department the size of LAPD reconsiders a vendor, it's rarely just about one bad headline — it's usually a mix of cost, data control, and the growing pile of questions about who actually gets to see the license plate trail of your daily life.
That's the bigger story here. Flock's pitch to city councils has always been "low cost, high value, minimal oversight required." But every time a major agency pumps the brakes, it chips away at the myth that ALPR dragnets are simply inevitable infrastructure. They're policy choices, made by people who can be pressured to unmake them — through public records requests, city council fights, and plain old bad press.
Credit to the channel for putting this on people's radar. If you want to see how far this network already spreads near you, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back on a contract in your own town, our take-action page has the tools to get started.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Career Technology Institute, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.