LA Police Commission OKs Suspension Of Flock Cameras Amid Contract Talks

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners Tuesday approved recommendations to suspend the deployment of automated license plate reader cameras licensed by Flock Safety pending additional oversight and public input.

The vote came three days after the Los Angeles Police Department announced Saturday that it had stopped working with surveillance technology company Flock Safety over concerns about how data collected by the cameras is used.

LAPD's three-year contract with Flock expired Saturday, though officials said they would work with the company on a new agreement that clearly defines and enforces data security and privacy protections.

"Automated license plate reader technology is a very valuable investigative tool — helping locate violent offenders, identify stolen vehicles and generate leads that assist in solving crimes and delivering justice for victims," LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said.

"At the same time, we have a responsibility to ensure that any technology we use is supported by strong protections for individual privacy and the security of the information entrusted to us," McDonnell added.

Flock Safety operates 138 pole-mounted cameras in Los Angeles. The department has used automated license plate reader technology, known as ALPRs, to identify stolen vehicles and vehicles associated with wanted suspects. Flock Safety, Axon Enterprise and Motorola Solutions all provide ALPR technology or related services to the LAPD.

Immigrant rights and civil liberties advocates have criticized Flock over reports that information collected by the company's cameras could be shared with federal agencies and potentially used in illegal immigration enforcement efforts.

On Tuesday, the Board of Police Commissioners heard from the Office of the Inspector General regarding an audit of the department's ALPRs, and its contract with Flock.

The Office of the Inspector General published a 98-page report of the department's ALPR system and related contracts. A review of the technology over August and September of 2025 sought to identify the impact of ALPRs on the recovery of stolen vehicles, arrests and overall crime suppression.

The OIG's report recommended suspending installation of new ALPR cameras and entering into no new related contracts until the city gathers additional public input and conducts a broader reassessment of vendors and data- sharing practices, according to a report issued Friday.

If the department continues using ALPR technology, the inspector general recommended requiring Police Commission approval for all contracts or agreements with vendors, regardless of cost.

According to the report, such agreements are necessary to establish enforceable standards governing data security, privacy protections, access controls, data retention and auditing, while ensuring accountability for how information is collected, used and shared.

The inspector general also recommended the department strengthen oversight of ALPR data access by amending policy to require annual audits — and to clearly state that any misuse of ALPR data may result in disciplinary action. A final recommendation would have the department develop a standardized process for documenting traffic stops initiated by ALPR alerts.

The Police Commission approved the findings and recommendations of the OIG's report.

LAPD Cmdr. Randy Goddard and Chief Information Officer Dean Gialamas defended the department's use of ALPR technology, and promised that any future agreements with vendors would be more transparent and adhere to city policies.

During the two-month review, ALPR alerts led to the recovery of 337 stolen vehicles, as well as so-called "hot list alerts" which led to 68 stops and 74 arrests for grand theft auto, evading and felony in possession of a firearm.

"This is a proven public safety tool that makes neighborhoods safer," Goddard said.

Goddard said the department gave Flock a draft services agreement in May outlining the city's terms on data ownership, data sharing, data security and breach liability, but Flock did not provide feedback in the two months that followed.

One day before the agreement expired, Flock delivered a letter of intent signed by its chief legal officer.

"We view that letter as encouraging, forward momentum," Goddard said. "However, a letter of intent is not enforceable."

Goddard emphasized that the department does not share ALPR data with federal immigration authorities, and that policy would continue in any future contracts.

While city attorneys and Flock continue negotiations, all ALPR cameras will continue recording and footage will be stored in a cloud, Goddard said. He emphasized that the LAPD doesn't have access to it as the contract is expired, and that "nobody has access to that data."

Goddard said it's beneficial for Flock's ALPR technology to continue recording because once a new agreement is finalized the department could go back and access the footage to assist in any investigations.

Before Tuesday's commission meeting, members of the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition rallied outside LAPD Headquarters to demand the department permanently end its use of ALPR technology. Some coalition members also provided public comment during the meeting.

"We refuse to let LAPD co-opt our community's demands in their contract maneuvering," according to a statement from the coalition. "No `new and improved' contract, guardrails, or reforms will sanitize LAPD's nefarious expansion of mass surveillance. All ALPRs, regardless of company or vendor, are harmful and violent. LAPD has exposed themselves, and we are calling out their bluff."

City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado welcomed the department's decision to pause use of Flock technology. She introduced a motion in May calling for a review of the department's use of automated license plate readers.

"LAPD's decision to pause its use of Flock confirms exactly why we introduced this motion," Jurado said Monday. "This was never just about one vendor or one contract. It is about whether surveillance technology in Los Angeles is being used with clear rules, enforceable privacy protections, meaningful oversight, and full compliance with our sanctuary laws and civil rights commitments."

Jurado said the next step should be immediate consideration of her motion by the council's Public Safety Committee and called for a full public accounting before any new agreement is approved.

Over the weekend, Gialamas said the department wants stronger contractual protections regarding ownership and control of data collected by Flock cameras and would suspend use of the system until those issues are resolved.

"The sticking point is around having very clear terms about who owns the data, what happens with the data once they collect," Gialamas told the Los Angeles Times.

A spokesperson for Flock told The Times that the LAPD's decision came as a surprise.

"We are confident that through ongoing discussion with LAPD, we can clear up the current misconceptions that led to today's disappointing pause," the spokesperson told the newspaper. "We hope to resume our successful partnership with the department soon."

Flock Safety, based in Atlanta, works with roughly 5,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide and has said it complies with California laws restricting the sharing of information with federal authorities.

In October 2025, the University of Washington's Center for Human Rights reported that Flock had tested an information-sharing program that allowed federal agencies to access license plate data collected by local agencies without those agencies' knowledge or consent.

Since then, concerns about data sharing and privacy have led several jurisdictions, including Hillsborough, North Carolina, and Flagstaff, Arizona, to end or suspend their relationships with Flock.

In California, the cities of Santa Cruz, South Pasadena and Mountain View, along with Santa Clara County, have ended contracts with the company.

By Jose Herrera, City News Service