LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Police Department suspended its partnership with surveillance company Flock Safety on July 11, 2026, over concerns about the company’s data-sharing practices, prompting the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners to reconsider the department’s use of automated license plate reader technology.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the LAPD ended its partnership with Flock Safety because of concerns about how the surveillance company uses its data. Subsequently, the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners announced it will consider further recommendations on the department’s use of all automated license plate readers (ALPRs) going forward.
The Daily News also reported that Flock Safety operates 138 ALPRs throughout Los Angeles. The cameras are used to help locate stolen vehicles or suspects associated with stolen vehicles, with Axon Enterprise and Motorola Solutions providing similar technology for the LAPD. Several concerns have emerged about the data collected by these companies, specifically the possibility that vehicle information can be shared with federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
As Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado stated, the decision to suspend the partnership and pursue additional recommendations “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.”
The contract between the LAPD and Flock Safety was allowed to expire without renewal because of concerns over the company’s data-sharing practices. A spokesperson for Flock Safety stated that “[they] hope to resume our successful partnership with the department soon,” while also claiming the company complies with all California information-sharing regulations.
However, according to the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights, Flock tested a program in October 2025 that shared license plate information with federal agencies. While vehicle information is already captured by local agencies without owners’ consent, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the program went one step further by giving federal agencies access to data collected by local agencies without drivers’ consent.
Beyond the contract’s provisions, multiple individuals and organizations also voiced support for suspending ALPR use while data-sharing practices undergo further review. LAPD Inspector General Matthew Barragan also advised against continuing the installation of new ALPR cameras or entering into similar contracts until additional research is completed.
In a report from the LAPD Inspector General’s Office, Barragan repeatedly recommended that all ALPR-related contracts and agreements require approval from the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners as a means of strengthening oversight of the technology.
To enhance data security, privacy protection and accountability, Barragan also recommended in his report that annual audits of ALPR contractors be conducted. Such audits would make it easier to identify misuse of ALPR data by private companies as well as local and federal agencies.
Moreover, the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition is demanding that the LAPD not only suspend its current use of ALPR technology until contracts are reevaluated, but also stop using the cameras altogether. In a statement, the coalition said “all ALPRs, regardless of company or vendor, are harmful and violent.” The group further argued that “no ‘new and improved’ contract, guardrails, or reforms will sanitize LAPD’s nefarious expansion of mass surveillance.”
While other cities and states have officially ended their relationships with Flock Safety over similar concerns, the future of Los Angeles’ use of ALPR technology remains uncertain.
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