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April 8, 2025 – Arizona cities are taking a second look at Flock Safety’s automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, weighing public safety benefits against growing privacy concerns and unresolved data governance issues.
The Center Square first reported that local governments across the state are grappling with how to handle the network of cameras, which capture and store images of every passing vehicle’s license plate. Since then, at least three major Arizona municipalities have launched formal reviews of their Flock programs, with some considering outright bans.
In Tucson, the city council voted 5-2 last week to impose strict data retention limits on all Flock cameras. Starting May 1, footage older than 14 days must be deleted unless tied to an active investigation. Previously, the city had no automatic deletion policy, allowing data to be stored for up to one year.
“We’re not saying Flock cameras are useless,” said Councilmember Lane Santa Cruz, who co-sponsored the measure. “But we cannot allow a dragnet surveillance system to operate without clear guardrails. The Fourth Amendment doesn’t stop at the city limits.”
The Tucson Police Department, which had requested a 90-day retention window, argued that shorter limits could hinder cold case investigations and regional crime-fighting efforts. The council compromise follows a report from the city’s privacy office that found no evidence that longer retention periods contributed to solving serious crimes.
Meanwhile, Phoenix is facing a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona over its Flock data-sharing agreement with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court on March 28, alleges that the city failed to disclose how license plate data is shared with federal immigration enforcement agencies.
“Phoenix residents have a right to know whether their daily movements are being monitored and shared with ICE,” said ACLU attorney Emily K. Davis. “The city’s secretive data-sharing practices violate state transparency laws.”
The city has denied the allegations, stating that Flock data is only used for “investigative leads” and that sharing with federal partners is “incidental and rare.” A hearing is scheduled for May 12.
In contrast, Scottsdale has doubled down on Flock cameras. The city launched a pilot program in 2023 with 20 cameras and announced plans to add another 30 by June 2025. Police Chief Jeff Walther claims the system has helped recover 47 stolen vehicles and identify 12 crime suspects in the past year.
“Flock cameras are a force multiplier for a department our size,” Walther said at a city council meeting. “We understand the privacy concerns, but we’ve been transparent about what we collect and how we use it.”
Privacy advocates counter that Scottsdale’s expansion is premature. “They’re relying on anecdotal success stories, not a rigorous before-and-after analysis,” said Laura K. Harrison, a researcher at the Arizona State University Center for Privacy and Technology. “Our study found that ALPR systems in similar-sized cities often displace crime rather than reduce it.”
At the state level, a bill that would have required all Arizona municipalities to adopt uniform data retention and sharing policies for Flock cameras died in committee in February. The proposed legislation, HB 2478, would have limited data retention to 30 days and barred sharing with out-of-state law enforcement absent a warrant.
“Without statewide rules, we’re left with a patchwork of local ordinances that leave citizens uncertain about how their data is used,” said state Rep. Athena Salman (D-Tempe), the bill’s sponsor. “The industry is pushing for growth, but democratic oversight is not keeping pace.”
The Arizona League of Cities and Towns has taken a neutral position, urging local governments to “develop their own policies based on community input.”
The debate is unlikely to quiet down. The Flock camera network in Arizona now includes over 1,200 cameras across 18 cities, according to company data. Flock Safety has defended its product, noting that it stores only license plate images—not faces or driver behavior—and that all data is encrypted.
“Flock cameras are designed to be a tool for solving crime, not monitoring communities,” said a company spokesperson. “We support cities that want to create clear policies, as long as those policies don’t undermine the system’s effectiveness.”
As summer approaches, city councils in Mesa, Gilbert, and Chandler are expected to take up their own Flock camera reviews. The outcomes could set a precedent for other states grappling with the rise of ALPR technology.
