Los Angeles Police Dept. suspends Flock Safety ALPR partnership over data‑sharing worries

The Los Angeles Police Department ended its contract with surveillance firm Flock Safety on July 11, 2026, after the city’s Board of Police Commissioners raised concerns that the company’s automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) system could share vehicle data with federal agencies such as ICE, potentially violating sanctuary policies and civil‑rights protections. The expired agreement covered 138 ALPR cameras used to locate stolen vehicles and suspects, and the department will review all ALPR use moving forward.

Meanwhile, watchdog groups have documented dozens of cases nationwide where officers misused Flock’s ALPRs to track personal contacts, leading to criminal misconduct charges and job losses in several states. Notable incidents include Milwaukee officer Josue Ayala, who searched a partner’s plate over 200 times and was sentenced to probation, and his investigator Tehrangi Chapman, also charged. The Institute for Justice identified at least 24 similar allegations across Wisconsin, Illinois, South Carolina, Texas, California and Georgia, prompting renewed calls for stricter oversight of surveillance technology.