Chandler drops Flock license plate reader cameras after audit flags potential misuse

The city of Chandler is discontinuing its use of Flock automated license plate reader cameras after a routine audit flagged potential misuse of the system by a department employee, police Chief Bryan Chapman said Thursday.

The city will not renew its service agreement with Flock and has immediately restricted all Chandler police personnel from accessing the system, Chapman said at a news conference.

The audit, conducted through Flock’s Auto Assist function, identified an anomaly that could not be explained through standard police work. It was the first such flag in nearly three years of using the technology, Chapman said.

“We immediately launched an internal investigation to determine exactly what happened,” Chapman noted. “Part of that investigation will be to determine if Flock was used inappropriately, and if so, discipline will follow.”

Chapman added no resident or member of the public had their privacy compromised but declined to provide details about the potential misuse, citing the open investigation.

About 200 Chandler police personnel had access to the system.

The department began using Flock cameras in March 2024 with a 14-camera pilot and expanded to 40 cameras in May 2025.

The 40 cameras and poles are Flock’s property, and the vendor will handle removal on its own timeline, Chapman said.

Chapman supports the system, citing more than 2,000 cases in which the cameras aided investigations, including recovering stolen vehicles and locating missing dementia patients. But he said the city needed to address community concerns and strengthen safeguards before moving forward.

Flock responds to Chandler dumping them

In a statement, Flock said it was disappointed by Chandler’s decision but emphasized the case demonstrated why the company built its auditing tools, including the Audit Assistance feature that automatically flags patterns indicating possible misuse.

“It’s why the public is becoming more aware of the rare cases of misuse; not because it never happened previously, but because we have now provided the tools that bring it to light,” the company said.

Chandler joins a growing list of Arizona jurisdictions that have dropped Flock contracts in recent months, including Pinal County, Flagstaff, Sedona and South Tucson.

KTAR News 92.3 FM Balin Overstolz-McNair contributed to this report.

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