Arizona Governor candidates address Flock cameras as cities drop the technology

Two more Arizona jurisdictions are ending their contracts with Flock Safety, citing concerns about privacy protections as scrutiny of the automated license plate reader technology continues to grow.

What we know:

Tempe and Cave Creek announced the decisions Wednesday, joining Surprise, Pinal County and Chandler, which have also ended or announced plans to end their Flock programs this month.

The decisions come amid allegations of misuse, officer resignations and broader concerns about how automated license plate reader data is collected, stored and shared.

The issue was also a focus of a law enforcement forum this week where both candidates for Arizona governor weighed in on the technology.

Flock in Tempe:

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said Tempe police found no misuse of the city's Flock system. But he said concerns surrounding automated license plate readers have become part of a broader conversation about privacy and potential misuse.

"It came to the larger, more global conversation that was taking place about automated license plate readers, which was there was widespread concern about misuse and about privacy rights," Woods said.

Tempe has since shut off all 33 of its automated license plate reader cameras.

Woods said the city also had a pilot program with Axon that will end.

Tempe City Councilman Bobby Nichols said he has been pushing for changes since last October.

"It doesn't matter what your political beliefs are, you have a right to safe and secure personally identifying information," Nichols said. "You have a right to have your privacy protected under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution."

Unlike some jurisdictions that have left open the possibility of continuing to use Flock with additional safeguards, Tempe said it will not partner with another automated license plate reader company.

The city acknowledged that ending the Flock system will change how police conduct some investigations. Woods, however, said he has full confidence in the Tempe Police Department.

"They're still going to continue to provide the same high levels of public safety and service to all of the people who live, work and play in the city of Tempe," Woods said. "But at the same time, they're just going to simply identify new ways to do that."

Flock in Cave Creek:

Cave Creek also announced it was ending its Flock program, making it the latest Arizona jurisdiction to take action against the technology.

"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.

Candidates Talk Flock Cameras:

The decisions come as both candidates for governor have called for a balance between public safety and privacy protections.

Gov. Katie Hobbs said she believes local communities should determine how they use the technology, while the state should establish safeguards.

"I believe the state's role is not telling local communities how to solve crimes, how to deploy technology in their communities, but our job is to place guardrails," Hobbs said.

Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who is running for governor, said law enforcement needs support while also acknowledging constitutional concerns.

"We need to make sure that we have the technology necessary to protect the public, but there's a very delicate balancing act that you're going to have to deal with," Biggs said. "... serious constitutional constraints we need to be careful with."

The recent decisions mark a growing shift among Arizona jurisdictions weighing the benefits of automated license plate readers against concerns over privacy, data sharing and potential misuse.