A police department in Arizona is moving to end its relationship with Flock Safety after an internal audit raised concerns about possible misuse, according to KJZZ.
What happened?
KJZZ reported that the Chandler Police Department in Arizona is preparing to phase out its partnership with Flock Safety, a surveillance company that has faced criticism for its AI-enabled cameras that take images of and track license plates across the country.
That action came after an internal department audit found possible misuse of the software by a police department employee.
The decision follows objections from residents at city council meetings, increasing pressure around concerns over privacy, accountability, and surveillance in public spaces.
Chandler's city council has not yet made a final decision on whether to end the city's contract with Flock Safety. KJZZ reported that 40 automated license plate reader cameras are still operating across the city.
Using AI, the cameras collect license plate data and other vehicle details that can be used in police investigations.
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"Flock is well aware of our intention to sunset those," said Chandler Police Chief Bryan Chapman, as reported by KJZZ. "That could look like taking them down, placing hoods over them. I think everybody's going to have a level of comfort when there are physical barriers over those cameras to show that they're not recording."
Why is this important?
Even supporters of surveillance technology often argue that strict oversight is necessary. The data collected can reveal personal information about how people live their lives.
Police departments often contend that these systems help solve crimes more quickly by identifying vehicles connected to investigations.
But this incident is one of the newest examples of people working for police departments misusing this technology. Newsweek recently reported that there are investigations in at least 12 other states over police officers' misuse of Flock cameras.
The Institute for Justice's tracker currently shows 16 states total. Its report mentioned that some of these cases involve police officers tracking romantic partners, exes, and sometimes even strangers.
As these incidents and breaches of privacy continue to happen, it's important to consider what solutions and technologies actually keep people safer. Making your opinion known in public spaces could help communities reach that decision sooner rather than later.
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