Which Arizona cities, counties, law enforcement agencies have stopped using Flock cameras?

In response to privacy concerns and investigations into potential misuse of Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers, some governmental and law enforcement organizations in metro Phoenix are reconsidering the technology.

The company partners with 5,000 law enforcement agencies across the U.S. to install and maintain its ALPR cameras, according to Flock Safety’s website. The AI-powered cameras automatically take photos of vehicles, converting those images into searchable data, including vehicle details and location information, all of which is stored in a cloud-based system.

Amid the growing scrutiny, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes launched a statewide review of how surveillance tools are used across the state on Aug. 27.

Here’s where officials are ending contracts, restricting data sharing or raising concerns.

Surprise cancels Flock contract, conducts probe

The city of Surprise confirmed that it notified Flock Safety on Aug. 13 that it would be canceling its contract with them. It also requested the company remove all of its equipment.

The cancellation comes after the city suspended its use of automated license plate readers following an anomaly being found during a routine audit. The discrepancy prompted an investigation and a police officer to be put on administrative leave until its completion.

The Surprise Police Department announced Aug. 27 that investigators determined the officer did nothing wrong.

Goodyear investigating potential misuse of Flock technology by officer

A criminal investigation is underway after an internal affairs audit found potential misuse of Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader technology by a Goodyear police officer. The officer has been put on administrative leave and had their access to the department’s computers restricted.

The Glendale Police Department is conducting the criminal probe. The Goodyear Police Department will resume its administrative investigation into the potential misuse when it is complete.

Tempe turns off Flock cameras, cancels contract

Tempe announced Aug. 26 that it turned off its Flock system and canceled its contract with the company. Additionally, the East Valley suburb said it will not seek a replacement license plate reader system from another company.

Audits did not find any impropriety, but city officials determined that the risk of the system being misused outweighed its benefits.

Tempe previously stopped automatically sharing its license plate reader data with other law enforcement agencies and launched a public transparency portal. The portal is being discontinued with the camera program ending.

Cave Creek terminates Flock contract after camera theft, privacy concerns

The town of Cave Creek terminated its Flock Safety contract effective immediately on Aug. 26, becoming the second Valley community that day to drop the technology.

Town officials originally hoped the cameras would support law enforcement while protecting resident privacy. However, because Flock’s networked system allows police agencies across the country to access scanned data, officials determined they could not guarantee privacy protections once data left town limits.

The decision was fast-tracked after someone allegedly stole a Flock camera near 32nd Street and Carefree Highway. Public works crews removed all remaining cameras for safekeeping following the theft.

Town staff had planned to revisit the system and vote on new privacy policies at a Sept. 15 council meeting. Instead, citing recent high-profile abuse cases locally and nationally, they chose to cancel the program outright.

The Town Manager and Town Attorney will formally address the termination at the Sept. 1 council meeting.

Apache Junction Police Department puts new restrictions in place after misuse

An Apache Junction officer resigned after an internal investigation found he misused Flock license plate readers to locate his wife during a dispute.

The department now requires supervisory approval for searches not tied to active cases and reviews weekly Flock audits for potential misuse.

Chandler ends Flock contract after audit flags possible misuse

Chandler will not renew its Flock contract and has blocked police personnel from accessing the system after an audit identified possible employee misuse. An internal investigation is underway, though officials said no member of the public had their privacy compromised.

The department had 40 cameras and credited the system with helping in more than 2,000 cases. Flock will remove the equipment.

Pinal County sheriff cites Fourth Amendment concerns

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office will let its Flock contract expire at the end of September. Sheriff Ross Teeple said the cameras’ broader surveillance capabilities could threaten residents’ Fourth Amendment rights.

The decision affects only cameras in unincorporated Pinal County, not those operated by cities such as Maricopa and Casa Grande. Teeple acknowledged that the technology has helped with alerts and anti-smuggling investigations but said residents’ concerns warranted ending the contract.

In response to Pinal County’s decision, Maricopa residents plan to rally Sept. 1 outside Maricopa City Hall to urge city officials to follow suit and cut ties with Flock Safety.

Sierra Vista no longer has a Flock contract for license plate readers

The contract between the city of Sierra Vista and Flock Safety officially ended on April 2, 2026, according to KGUN9.

City of South Tucson cuts ties with surveillance company

On Feb. 17, 2026, the South Tucson City Council voted to end its agreement with Flock Safety and remove the company’s automated license plate reader cameras from across the city, according to Tucson Spotlight, which noted that it wasn’t a unanimous vote.

Flagstaff City Council ends contract with Flock Safety

The Flagstaff City Council voted on Dec. 16, 2025, to end its contract with Flock Safety. The decision came after the Flagstaff Police Department tightened its policies, removing itself from national and statewide data-sharing networks, barring the use of ALPR data for immigration enforcement and cutting its data retention period from 30 days to 14.

“So far to date, there have been no misuses of our system. It’s been solely used for victims of crime in our community,” said Collin Seay, deputy chief of operations for the Flagstaff Police Department, during the meeting.

Despite the city ending its use of Flock cameras, KNAU reported that Northern Arizona University, state agencies and some private businesses still operate the cameras in and around Flagstaff.

Sedona City Council votes to drop its contract with Flock Safety

On Sept. 9, 2025, the Sedona City Council unanimously voted to cancel its contract for automated license plate readers and remove them.

“The public has told us overwhelmingly they don’t want them,” Councilmember Derek Pfaff said.

Councilmember Pete Furman said officials had failed to consider the broader policy implications of collecting and storing data on people not suspected of crimes.

The full discussion is available on the city’s website beginning at the 2:23:01 mark.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Kylie Werner contributed to this report. 

This is an updated version of a story that was originally posted on Aug. 12, 2026. 

Related

Flock official defends cameras as Arizona agencies rethink contractsApache Junction officer resigns after misusing Flock cameras for personal reasonsChandler drops Flock license plate reader cameras after audit flags potential misuseArizona sheriff cancels Flock camera contract, citing Fourth Amendment worriesAG Kris Mayes calls for pause on new data centers, citing Arizona’s water and power crunchArizona attorney general launches statewide review of Flock cameras amid wave of scrutiny