Full Breakdown
Flock ALPR Cameras Spark Privacy Backlash Across Michigan and Beyond
8/21/2026, 6:10:01 AM
Core Event: Public Tool Reveals License-Plate Searches
HaveIBeenFlocked.com lets anyone enter a plate number to see if it appears in audit logs of searches performed with Flock’s automated license-plate-reader (ALPR) system. The data, sourced from public-records requests, is current through July 31 2026. The site notes the dataset is incomplete and does not confirm whether a vehicle actually passed one of the estimated 120,000 + Flock cameras.
Background & Context: Rapid Expansion of a Nationwide Surveillance Network
Founded in 2017, Flock Safety has installed roughly 120,000 cameras in every state except Alaska, partnering with about 7,000 law-enforcement agencies—about 40 % of U.S. police departments. The company, most recently valued at $8.4 billion, captures each passing vehicle’s plate, make, model, color and distinctive traits, storing the information in a searchable national database.
Data & Statistics: Scale and Reported Misuse
- 80,000–100,000 active cameras (ACLU).
- Billions of vehicle scans each month (ACLU).
- Hundreds of thousands of license-plate searches logged monthly (company data).
- Documented misuse:
- Illinois investigators found police searching for “immigration” or “ICE” violated state law.
- Texas partners triggered searches of 80,000 cameras for a woman who self-administered an abortion.
- Wisconsin police used the network to track a driver crossing state lines for marijuana, then used that as a pretext for a search.
Official Statements & Responses
- Sterling Heights Police credited Flock with locating a shooting suspect within three hours.
- Ferndale officials cited the system’s role in solving a murder and a double murder in neighboring Hazel Park.
- Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said roadside cameras helped locate an armed car-jack suspect.
- Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette described the readers as “effective” for tracking stolen vehicles.
- Flock’s disclaimer notes a search result only shows a user entered a plate; it does not imply suspicion, and the website does not retain queries.
- In response to criticism, Flock will flag repeated searches of the same plate and is shortening data retention from 30 days to seven days.
- The ACLU has called for a warrant requirement before law-enforcement may query the database.
Criticism & Opposition
Privacy advocates argue the system places every citizen under “pre-crime” surveillance. Vandalism—shot, spray-painted and cut-down cameras—in Birmingham, Novi, Pontiac, Waterford and West Bloomfield reflects community anger. Several municipalities have terminated contracts: Westland and Sumpter Township ended agreements after public feedback; Ferndale cancelled its contract in late 2025; Los Angeles and Denver have let theirs lapse.
On-the-Ground Reports
Residents use crowdsourced maps such as DeFlock and Flock Hopper to plan routes that avoid cameras and to organize public meetings.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The audit-log database does not reveal whether a vehicle actually passed a camera, nor does it disclose the total number of searches tied to a single plate. Data stop at July 31 2026, leaving a gap in current activity.
Verbatim Quotes
What’s Next
Deflock Lansing will hold a public meeting on August 23 at 4:30 p.m. to discuss the technology and consider ending Lansing’s contract with Flock. Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that would impose strict limits on how law-enforcement agencies may use ALPR systems like Flock.
