Full Breakdown
Flock Safety Introduces New Audit Tools Amid Police Misuse Allegations
8/13/2026, 9:48:17 PM
Background & Context
Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based public-safety technology firm, supplies automated license-plate reader (ALPR) cameras that capture a vehicle’s plate, color, make, model and unique features. Law-enforcement agencies use the data to locate stolen vehicles, investigate crimes and conduct missing-person searches. Critics—including the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation—warn that the networks could enable mass surveillance and allow officers to track ordinary citizens’ movements.
New Safety Controls and Audit Features
In response to high-profile misuse cases, Flock announced mandatory safeguards. By year-end, every customer must enable the “Audit Assistance” tool, which flags searches that deviate from typical usage patterns and locks the user out pending administrator review. Officers must enter a case number and offense type for each query, except for “genuine emergencies,” which are auto-flagged.
Flock is shortening its default data-retention window from 30 days to seven days, though agencies may extend the period to meet state or local policies. An “evidence mode” permits longer storage when a search is tied to a specific case number. Jurisdictions can also restrict how outside agencies query their cameras—for example, permitting theft-related searches while blocking immigration-enforcement queries.
Data & Statistics
- A former Milwaukee officer accessed the Flock database 124 times to locate a romantic partner.
- Six Savannah police employees were terminated on Aug. 7 for non-law-enforcement searches; at least 20 Georgia officials have been arrested for similar misuse.
- Roughly one-third of Flock’s agency customers had already activated the Audit Assistance tool before it became mandatory.
- The Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) operates 37 LPR cameras and four “Condor” cameras; annual operating costs total about $113,000.
- CCPD estimates Flock data supports roughly 50 % of its criminal investigations.
Official Statements & Responses
Flock CEO Garrett Langley said the company feels an “obligation…to the communities we serve” and that the new guardrails are meant to intervene before misuse becomes “recurring or widespread.” He noted that the transparency portal, launched weeks before the employee terminations, shows the number of searches performed in the past 30 days and which external agencies can access the data.
Criticism & Opposition
Privacy groups argue that even short-term storage can reveal detailed travel patterns and that ALPR networks risk creating a “Big Brother” surveillance state. The ACLU and EFF have urged tighter limits on data retention and broader public oversight.
On-the-Ground Reports
Savannah’s transparency portal publicly lists each of the 37 LPR cameras, recent search counts and the agencies authorized to query the system. CCPD Chief Jeff Hadley called the portal “the right thing to do” and said the department has “nothing to hide.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Flock’s policy allows agencies to adjust the seven-day retention period, creating variability in how long data is stored across jurisdictions. No comprehensive national audit of ALPR usage has been published, leaving the total scope of misuse unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I’ve spent a lot of time in the last two years talking to individuals, and a lot of them have said, ‘Well, I don’t trust the police,’ and I go, ‘Why?’ ‘Oh, well, the police have abused their power so many times,’” — Garrett Langley, Flock CEO
- “Departments are not renewing their contracts because they’re really getting a lot of pushback from their community.” — Jeff Hadley, CCPD chief
What’s Next
Flock’s Audit Assistance tool must be mandatory for all customers by year-end, and the reduced seven-day retention policy will take effect simultaneously. Agencies that adopt the new “evidence mode” will be able to retain data longer for case-linked investigations, while jurisdictions can configure access restrictions for external law-enforcement requests.
