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Departments Suspend Flock Cameras After License-Reader Misuse Claims

8/22/2026

Center

Police Suspend Flock

Police departments in Oviedo, FL; New Bedford, MA; and Michigan and Virginia jurisdictions are reviewing or suspending Flock license-plate-reader cameras after misuse allegations.
Officials cite changes, such as terminating a sheriff’s lieutenant and limiting system access to a division.
Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek said a Flock camera was installed, with council vote set for Sept. 10.
New Bedford Chief Jason Thody placed Emily Pacheco on leave and halted Flock use on Aug. 11.

Left

Police Suspend Flock

Police departments in Oviedo, Florida; New Bedford, Massachusetts; and multiple Michigan and Virginia jurisdictions are reviewing or suspending Flock license-plate-reader cameras after misuse allegations.
Outrage over violations and mission-creep followed report that officers used the system to track partners, prompting activists to vandalize cameras and build a DeFlock map.
Flock operates about 120,000 cameras, serving roughly 7,000 law-enforcement agencies.
Some cities that dropped Flock have contracted Axon for license-plate-reader technology.

Blindspot

Vigilante groups in the affected communities have damaged or destroyed Flock license-plate-reader cameras, cut poles, sprayed lenses, and compiled a crowdsourced “DeFlock” map that pinpoints camera locations.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The LAPD’s legacy of contentious surveillance dates back to the early 2000s, when the Department of Justice imposed a 2001 consent decree after the Rampart scandal and federal oversight ended in 2013. That history of civil-rights lawsuits, including ACLU challenges, frames today’s suspension of Flock’s camera system by officials such as Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek, a department that now fields about 8,832 officers.

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Police Suspend Flock

Police departments in Oviedo, FL; New Bedford, MA; and Michigan and Virginia jurisdictions are reviewing or suspending Flock license-plate-reader cameras after misuse allegations.
Officials cite changes, such as terminating a sheriff’s lieutenant and limiting system access to a division.
Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek said a Flock camera was installed, with council vote set for Sept. 10.
New Bedford Chief Jason Thody placed Emily Pacheco on leave and halted Flock use on Aug. 11.

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