A Flock surveillance camera (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
CAVE CREEK, Ariz. - The Town of Cave Creek has ended its contract with Flock Safety's Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology.
What we know:
In an Aug. 26 announcement, the town says it made the decision based on the concerns of residents, policy limitations, and recent incidents involving Flock camera use.
"Town staff, in consultation with its Town attorney, originally sought to find a balance between improving law enforcement capabilities and protecting the privacy of residents. However, it became clear that any local policy or safeguards could not extend beyond the Town’s jurisdiction, as FLOCK’s networked design allows data to be shared and accessed by external law enforcement agencies. This limitation prevented the Town from ensuring the level of privacy protection sought by Cave Creek officials and the community," the town said.
Initially, the town planned to talk more about Flock cameras at a Sept. 15 town council meeting and how potential policies could be put into place, but considering the issues other cities and states have experienced with the cameras, it determined ending the contract was in the best interest of the community.
The theft of a Flock camera at 32nd Street and Carefree Highway also played a role in the decision — all remaining cameras were removed by the town.
What's next:
The town manager and attorney plan to address the contract termination at a Sept. 1 town council meeting.
Dig deeper:
Several Valley law enforcement agencies are grappling with license plate reader issues.
- Tempe: The city deactivated its automated license plate readers (ALPR) and terminated its contract with Flock on Aug. 26. Officials noted the city found no evidence of misuse.
- Apache Junction: Officer Joshua McDaniel resigned after a department investigation revealed he used the system to track his wife.
- Chandler: An investigation into technology misuse prompted Officer Maurisio Miranda to resign and led the city to cancel its Flock contract.
- Surprise: The city canceled its contract with Flock Safety, though an investigation into alleged misuse concluded the officer committed no wrongdoing.