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Surprise cancels Flock camera contract
Surprise is terminating its contract with Flock Safety and requesting the removal of automated license plate readers following an officer's suspension over alleged misuse of the technology. FOX 10's Danielle Miller reports.
SURPRISE, Ariz. - The city of Surprise is canceling its contract with Flock Safety amid several investigations across Arizona over suspected misuse of automated license plate readers.
The backstory:
Surprise suspended the use of Flock cameras, and now the city wants the company to remove its equipment.
Last week, a Surprise police officer was placed on leave, accused of possible misuse of the automated license plate readers. That is when the city announced it was suspending the program. Now, Surprise has decided to terminate its contract with Flock, officials confirmed with FOX 10.
Surprise identifies 'anomaly' in use of license plate reader system, suspends use of the system
Surprise has joined a number of Valley cities in announcing that they will suspend their use of automated license plate readers. Police with the West Valley city say an audit found an anomaly in the use of their system.
Dig deeper:
Police have credited the technology for solving several crimes, but it has also come under intense scrutiny in recent months as critics have argued about the potential misuse of the system, and concerns have been raised about whether they violate the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution by being considered a warrantless search.
Several other Arizona cities, including Chandler, Tempe, and Goodyear, have had issues with automated license plate readers. That includes possible misuse by police officers and data-sharing concerns. Flock founder and CEO Garrett Langley is defending the technology and announced extra oversight on data and usage.
Arizona cities rethink Flock camera tech as officer misuse leads to resignations
Chandler and Pinal County ended Flock camera contracts while other Arizona cities investigate misuse. Flock Safety announced new guardrails and oversight tools in response.
What we don't know:
Surprise police did not identify the officer who was placed on leave. It's also not clear when the Flock company will take down the cameras.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from a statement from the Surprise Police Department, and FOX 10 reports on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, 2026.