Full Breakdown
Dayton Covers Flock ALPR Cameras Amid Immigration Data Concerns
6/4/2026, 4:00:01 AM
Core Event: City Workers Bag Flock License-Plate Readers
In June 2026, Dayton workers placed black trash bags over all 72 fixed-site ALPR cameras after a police audit uncovered more than 7,000 immigration-related search requests. The department suspended the system, the city allocated $30,000 for a data-log audit, and officials said the devices would stay covered until removal. The city had spent $825,750 on 35 cameras in 2024 and received a $90,000 grant for 27 more; Flock cited a 33 % rise in Richmond, CA auto thefts during a camera outage.
Background & Context
Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based vendor, has installed ALPR networks in dozens of U.S. cities. Disputes have also arisen in Evanston, Illinois (Customs and Border Protection access), Oxnard, California (a “nationwide query” bypassing “California only” settings), and Renton, Washington (a pause after immigration-enforcement data-sharing outcry).
Official Statements & Responses
City Manager Shelley Dickstein called the searches “egregious violations of policy.” Deputy City Manager Joe Parlette said the department would keep the cameras covered. Flock spokesperson asserted data-sharing complies with federal law and that “our customers own and control their data, which is deleted after 30 days by default.” Tom Bowman of the Center for Democracy and Technology warned the leaks “forced it into attention,” and NYU Brennan Center director Rachel Levinson-Waldman said data access “generally flows from the bottom up.”
Criticism & Opposition
Privacy advocates say ALPRs enable invasive tracking and that contract language often traps municipalities in long-term obligations. Legal scholars note the lack of enforceable termination clauses, leaving cameras active during disputes. In Boulder, Colorado, two residents sued the police department, alleging unlawful surveillance.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Flock denies any contracts with ICE, yet audits in Dayton and Oxnard show external agencies accessed data through “side-door handshakes” and a “nationwide query.” The legal mechanisms enabling such access remain undocumented, and federal law provides no specific limits on ALPR use beyond tolling provisions.
Verbatim Quotes
- “At Flock, we believe safety and privacy should go hand in hand, which is why our technology is built around transparency, accountability, and local control,” — Flock spokesperson
- “People may not have realized that for years these systems have been working,” — Tom Bowman, Center for Democracy and Technology
- “It’s generally flowing from the bottom up,” — Rachel Levinson-Waldman, NYU Brennan Center
- “If we’re not going to get sensible guardrails for these systems,” — Tom Bowman
What’s Next
Dayton will finish the $30,000 audit, explore contract-termination options, and monitor pending federal proposals that could restrict ALPR deployment. Other municipalities facing similar disputes are reviewing their own agreements with Flock Safety.
