{"id":493851,"date":"2026-01-05T10:20:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T10:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/493851\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T10:20:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T10:20:13","slug":"cop-cam-critics-to-scottsdale-whats-up-flock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/493851\/","title":{"rendered":"Cop cam critics to Scottsdale: ‘What’s up, Flock?’ |"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some complain Scottsdale residents are being tracked wherever they go \u2013 be it to church, the grocery store or an adult entertainment facility.<\/p>\n

Critics of police technology say \u201ccop cams\u201d \u2013 not body cameras worn by police, but \u201ceyes in the sky\u201d positioned at intersections and other public areas \u2013 are out of control.<\/p>\n

The debate centers on Flock Safety, makers of a license-plate reader program used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies, including the Scottsdale Police Department. The Atlanta-based company says its \u201clicense plate recognition cameras can be placed almost anywhere to capture detailed data about license plates and vehicles used to commit crimes, enabling quick and efficient action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, Scottsdale technicians and detectives used Flock to take down a murder suspect, \u201ccrime tourists\u201d and an armed car thief.<\/p>\n

Even so, the program has a flock of critics.<\/p>\n

One who emailed the Progress had a request.<\/p>\n

Though he has a website called unflockscottsdale.com<\/a>, and has been gathering petitions of support to ban the Flock system in Scottsdale, he asked that his name not be published.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Flock CEO has stated that some people opposing Flock are terrorists and part of Antifa \u2013 neither of which I am \u2013 which has me concerned about my personal safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is hardly just local grumblings, as the American Civil Liberties Union also has problems with Flock.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cloud automatic license plate reader company Flock is building a dangerous nationwide mass-surveillance infrastructure, as we have been pointing out for several years now,\u201d according to the ACLU\u2019s website.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem with mass surveillance is that it always expands beyond the uses for which it is initially justified \u2014 and sure enough, Flock\u2019s system is undergoing insidious expansion across multiple dimensions \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The ACLU complains Flock \u201callows police to do nationwide searches of the resulting database, giving even the smallest-town police chief access to an enormously powerful driver-surveillance tool.\u201d<\/p>\n

The system is secure, the company insists:<\/p>\n

\u201cFlock Safety is dedicated to ensuring our customers’ privacy by safeguarding all data and information collected through our devices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe, but \u2026<\/p>\n

According to an Aug. 17, 2024, story in the Wichita Eagle: \u201cA Sedgwick, Kansas, police chief used Flock Safety license plate readers to track his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend’s vehicles 228 times over four-plus years.\u201d<\/p>\n

While that case is an outlier, the \u201cdeflock\u201d group (deflock.me) complains Flock\u2019s cameras \u201ccollect data on millions of vehicles regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThese systems are marketed as indispensable tools to fight crime, but they ignore the powerful tools police already have to track criminals, such as cell phone location data, creating a loophole that doesn’t require a warrant.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a November podcast, Flock Safety founder and CEO Garrett Langley said he respected the ACLU\u2019s right to criticize his company during \u201creasonable debates\u201d on privacy issues.<\/p>\n

But he referred to the anti-surveillance project DeFlock as a “terroristic organization\u201d that is \u201ccloser to Antifa than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cop cams<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cameras used by local police were hashed over at two November City Council meetings.<\/p>\n

Along with neighbors Tempe, Paradise Valley and Phoenix, Scottsdale is watching you at select intersections.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city of Scottsdale has used photo enforcement technology since 1996 to help reduce red-light running and speeding,\u201d SPD\u2019s website notes.<\/p>\n

On Nov. 3, SPD Chief Joe LeDuc gave a presentation on \u201cPhoto Enforcement in Scottsdale.\u201d<\/p>\n

LeDuc said SPD\u2019s 15 intersection cameras have led to \u201ccrash reduction\u201d and \u201ccost efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n

LeDuc showed video of a driver blowing through a Frank Lloyd Wright\/Greenway red light at 130 mph.<\/p>\n

Councilman Adam Kwasman, for one, was not buying the presentation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m against photo radar because I think it\u2019s unconstitutional,\u201d Kwasman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt violates the Sixth Amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Councilwoman Mary McAllen tried to bring up Flock cameras at the Nov. 3 meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve received probably over 100 emails about it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Though she was overruled, as the topic was not on the agenda, Flock was the focus of attention two weeks later.<\/p>\n

The Nov. 17 Scottsdale City Council consent agenda item seemed innocuous, if not mundane:<\/p>\n

\u201cApprove the 2026 legislative agenda and authorize the city\u2019s registered lobbyists to take the necessary actions to communicate the city\u2019s positions on these matters \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

But, since a few people wanted to express their views, the item was pulled off the consent agenda \u2013 a clump of items (13, on this night) \u2013 that are voted on as a group, with no individual presentations or discussion.<\/p>\n

Sara Sparman, the city\u2019s government relations manager, gave a presentation highlighting Scottsdale\u2019s positions on water, transportation, finance and livability, among others.<\/p>\n

What got the attention of some was a bullet point listed under \u201cpublic safety\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u201cPromote the responsible and transparent use of emerging technologies, including Real Time Crime Centers, drones as first responders, license plate readers, photo radar, and artificial intelligence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eric Fowler, who identified himself as the chair of the Maricopa County Libertarian Party, called that a flock of misinformation.<\/p>\n

Fowler derided Flock as \u201cAI mass surveillance network, a system that this council never voted on, never held a hearing about, and apparently never knew existed.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he reviewed documents and failed to find \u201ca single mention of Flock or license plate reader in your agendas or minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo how did we get 60-plus surveillance cameras without democratic oversight? This isn’t just a bad process, it’s unconstitutional.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calling the Flock system \u201cmass surveillance of innocent people without warrants,\u201d Fowler concluded:<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m demanding that you terminate this contract immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was followed by fellow Flock-hater Vincent La, who said he works in information technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem with Flock is that \u2026 this AI stuff has come really, really fast, and Congress doesn’t act very fast. So I think this has created a huge gap in state laws and federal laws.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merissa Hamilton also spoke against the Flock program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have great concerns about this, and I think that instead of saying that to promote the responsible and transparent use of these license plate readers and photo radar, that that’s kind of an oxymoron, there is no way to have responsible or transparent use of these devices.\u201d<\/p>\n

None of the city\u2019s seven elected officials directly addressed the concerns raised by those three.<\/p>\n

But City Manager Greg Caton hinted \u201cFlock \u2026 or license plate readers could certainly come up at the legislature.\u201d<\/p>\n

The normally even keel Caton grew passionate as he proclaimed the Scottsdale Police Department is on \u201cthe cutting edge\u201d of AI and technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree with the city manager,\u201d Councilman Barry Graham chimed in. \u201cOur police are on the cutting edge. I mean, everybody’s envious about our police \u2013 they’re on the front lines of technology and adopting tools to keep us safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I hope they keep pushing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even so, Graham advocated for revising the motion.<\/p>\n

He urged keeping most of the Public Safety section (\u201cThe city of Scottsdale advances public safety and criminal justice as a collaborative partner, endorsing initiatives that protect residents, enhance operation, integrity and effectiveness, and promote trust and wellbeing in the community\u201d).<\/p>\n

But his motion was to delete the wording \u201cto promote the responsible and transparent use of emerging technologies.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The motion carried 5-2, with Mayor Lisa Borowsky and representatives Jan Dubauskas, Adam Kwasman and Kathy Littlefield opposed.<\/p>\n

Councilwomen Mary McAllen \u2013 whose alternate motion of keeping the language in failed \u2013 and Solange Whitehead opposed Graham\u2019s motion.<\/p>\n

High-profile cases<\/strong><\/p>\n

SPD seemed to hit the law enforcement jackpot with cop cams on several occasions over the last two years.<\/p>\n

The police department\u2019s Real Time Crime Center is tucked inside the Via Linda Police Station. Giant screens on the wall and dozens of smaller monitors show live traffic at busy intersections, license plate readers, maps with locations of officers and drone video \u2013 with the pilots here controlling launches and flights across the city.<\/p>\n

On Feb. 17, 2024, Raad Almansoori \u2013 a suspect in a New York City murder case \u2013 allegedly stabbed a woman in Surprise. He later told police he intended to rape and murder her, according to court documents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Almansoori also told detectives he planned to find a victim to rape and murder at the Fashion Square Mall.<\/p>\n

The following day, Almansoori allegedly followed an 18-year-old woman into a McDonald\u2019s bathroom, where he stabbed her before fleeing, stealing a car from the parking lot.<\/p>\n

After an alert was sent out, SPD\u2019s Flock system \u201cpinged\u201d the stolen car to a Scottsdale Fashion Square parking lot. Officers raced to the parking lot and arrested Almansoori.<\/p>\n

A few weeks later, a license-plate reader flagged a car reported as stolen heading north on Scottsdale Road.<\/p>\n

A Real Time Crime Center technician alerted nearby officers, who followed the car through rush-hour traffic to Cactus Road. Kathy Steinke switched her view to a traffic camera as the driver of the stolen car stopped at a red light.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got a gun!\u201d Steinke called over the radio \u2013 perhaps a half-second before the driver jumped from the car and started firing at the two police cars behind him.<\/p>\n

Warned, the cops quickly shot back, killing the man.<\/p>\n

Just before Memorial Day last year, Scottsdale Police received information from Burbank Police about a tourist-gang group from Colombia that had allegedly committed burglaries there could be headed to Arizona.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Burbank sent along vehicle descriptions and license plates.<\/p>\n

A police spokesman said Scottsdale Police found the vehicles \u201cthrough investigative means.\u201d<\/p>\n

After tracking the cars to the Old Town short-term rental, Scottsdale detectives set up surveillance, later arresting a group of seven \u201ccrime tourists.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those high-profile cases apparently have not impressed the likes of unflockscottsdale.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes Flock LPRs (license-plate readers) especially alarming is its vast information-sharing system: Flock LPR data can be pooled from law enforcement agencies, private companies, employers, and HOAs, creating a powerful, centralized system capable of monitoring virtually anyone\u2019s movements in real time or retroactively,\u201d the website complains.<\/p>\n

And, unflockscottsdale warns, \u201cPolice across the country can use the Flock network to track you without a warrant \u2026 Due to a lack of transparency, it is difficult to determine who the city of Scottsdale shares Flock information with.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Flock Safety\u2019s website, this is simply a high-tech solution for an age-old problem.<\/p>\n

The problem encountered by SPD, according to Flock: \u201cDeclining interest in law enforcement careers led to staffing concerns. Yet, the city\u2019s status as a major event hub and hotspot for organized retail theft meant there was no room for compromise on safety. The police needed to ensure large crowds\u2019 safety, effectively allocate resources and weed out false 911 reports.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flock said it was ready: \u201cScottsdale Police turned to data-driven \u2018hot-spotting\u2019 and chose Flock Safety\u2019s suite of solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SPD\u2019s Flock-provided \u201ctech arsenal\u201d includes license-plate reading cameras; PTZ (plan, tilt, zoom) cameras; a video management system to integrate third-party live cameras and into Flock\u2019s operating system; and \u201cPrivately owned Flock Safety LPR cameras and approximately 4,000 live video streams from local entities\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these devices feed into Scottsdale\u2019s Real-Time Crime Center via FlockOS.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Flock, the system helps Scottsdale officers \u201csolve crimes faster, allocate resources efficiently and improve public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Officer Aaron Bolin, a Scottsdale Police spokesman, confirmed the accuracy of Flock\u2019s description of its SPD services. Bolin added the \u201capproximately 4,000 live video streams\u201d referenced by Flock come from the Scottsdale Unified School District and businesses that have agreements with the SPD.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the flight of Flock may be growing even wider.<\/p>\n

As an Oct. 17, 2025, Yahoo News story notes: \u201cAmazon\u2019s surveillance camera maker Ring announced a partnership on Thursday with Flock, a maker of AI-powered surveillance cameras that share footage with law enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow agencies that use Flock can request that Ring doorbell users share footage to help with \u2018evidence collection and investigative work.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked about the concerns by Fowler and others regarding Scottsdale\u2019s use of Flock, Graham responded, \u201cThe technology is used to fight crimes like child abductions, auto thefts, burglaries, and organized theft rings\u2014using vehicle data only; no facial recognition or driver images.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile deployed through standard city procurement processes,\u201d Graham added, \u201cI agree that more transparency on these tools would strengthen community trust.”<\/p>\n

In an interview this week with the Progress, Kwasman remained dead-red on photo cameras.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s vast agreement among residents,\u201d the first-term councilman insisted, \u201cthat photo enforcement as a means of police work is more burdensome than useful and is used as a money maker.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, compared to the flash-and-ticket traffic cameras he wholeheartedly hates, Kwasman is on the fence about license-plate reader cameras.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlock doesn\u2019t cause an action,\u201d Kwasman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike most things in life, there\u2019s nuance here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The libertarian-leaning councilman said he is not a \u201cdeFlocker\u201d \u2013 but keeping an eye on the company that keeps an eye on us.<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernment needs to be extremely vigilant about falling into the trap of becoming a surveillance state,\u201d Kwasman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can balance security and liberty.\u201d<\/p>\n

SPD responds to Flock critics<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Progress asked Scottsdale Police Chief Joe LeDuc to respond to critics of Scottsdale\u2019s use of Flock license plate readers, or LPRc.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegarding the claim that Flock LPRs are an \u2018AI mass surveillance network\u2019 implemented without oversight or in violation of constitutional protections, that characterization is incorrect,\u201d LeDuc said.<\/p>\n

\u201cScottsdale\u2019s license plate reader cameras are a targeted public safety tool.\u201d<\/p>\n

The annual cost for the Flock system is $372,050 \u2013 and well worth it, LeDuc insisted.<\/p>\n

The chief of police noted a 24% decrease in \u201cGroup A\u201d violent crimes compared to 2024. \u201cTechnology such as LPRs and our Real Time Crime Center plays a significant role in these results by allowing officers and detectives to act quickly and accurately,\u201d LeDuc said.<\/p>\n

The 85 LPR cameras across the city \u201ccapture images of license plates and limited vehicle descriptors on public roadways only,\u201d LeDuc said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do not identify people, use facial recognition, or track lawful activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

How does the Flock system work?<\/p>\n

\u201cPlate data is compared against specific, lawfully established alert lists tied to stolen vehicles, wanted persons, missing persons, or active criminal investigations,\u201d LeDuc said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCourts have consistently held that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy for license plates displayed on public roads.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regarding privacy concerns, LeDuc said:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cOversight and accountability are central to how we use this technology. LPR systems are acquired through the city\u2019s standard budget and procurement process and are governed by Scottsdale Police Department policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAccess is limited to trained and authorized personnel, every search is logged, and system use is routinely audited.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added saving camera footage \u201cfollows Arizona public records and retention laws, and misuse of the system is subject to discipline.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe audits have not found any misuse by our employees using the system.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

LeDuc pointed to the Flock system\u2019s role in the apprehension of a fugitive wanted for murder and assault in a Fashion Square parking lot in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the arrest, the suspect admitted intent to commit further violent acts at the mall,\u201d LeDuc said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a clear case where speed, precision, and coordination prevented loss of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the addition to the above and other \u201chigh-profile\u201d cases, LeDuc said, \u201cWe have many additional examples where LPRs have directly helped prevent or solve violent crimes, including armed robberies, attempted homicides, human trafficking cases, child sex crimes and the capture of suspects wanted for serious felonies across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even so, he said questions about privacy are understandable, \u201cand we welcome that dialogue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur responsibility is to protect the community while respecting rights, and we believe Scottsdale\u2019s policies, training, auditing, and documented outcomes demonstrate that balance.\u201d<\/p>\n

LeDuc\u2019s bottom line on Flock cameras:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe public safety benefits of license plate reader technology far outweigh its cost because it allows law enforcement to prevent harm, not just respond to it after the fact \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a single alert prevents a homicide, rescues a trafficking victim, or stops a violent offender before they strike again, the value to the community is undeniable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some complain Scottsdale residents are being tracked wherever they go \u2013 be it to church, the grocery store…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":493852,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,738,1587,166900,10082,156207,222360,22506,222357,1589,222359,91327,7600,178359,152497,222358,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-493851","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-artificial-intelligence","11":"tag-az","12":"tag-barry-graham","13":"tag-chief","14":"tag-flock","15":"tag-flock-ceo","16":"tag-flock-safety","17":"tag-joe-leduc","18":"tag-phoenix","19":"tag-photo-enforcement-technology","20":"tag-real-time-crime-center","21":"tag-scottsdale","22":"tag-scottsdale-police-department","23":"tag-solange-whitehead","24":"tag-unflockscottsdale-com","25":"tag-united-states","26":"tag-united-states-of-america","27":"tag-unitedstates","28":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","29":"tag-us","30":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115841992236095935","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=493851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/493852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=493851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=493851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=493851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}