Key Takeaway:
- LAPD suspended Flock Safety’s camera system over concerns about data privacy, security and information sharing.
- Flock CEO Garrett Langley defended the technology, saying it captures only license plates, not faces or driver identities.
- The debate continues as supporters cite crime-solving benefits while critics raise surveillance and privacy concerns.
The Los Angeles Police Department has suspended its use of Flock Safety’s license plate reader cameras over privacy, data security and information-sharing concerns, while the company’s CEO Garrett Langley says updated policies could restore the partnership.
LAPD Cites Privacy and Data-Sharing Concerns
The LAPD ended its three-year partnership with Flock Safety after raising concerns about how data is collected, secured and shared. Department officials said the suspension will remain in place until those issues are addressed through a revised contractual agreement.
“The LAPD had to make a difficult decision of continuing, in this case, discontinuing, using Flock services until we can get those data, privacy, security and sharing concerns ironed out through a contractual relationship,” Dean Gialamas, the department’s chief information officer.
Flock Safety co-founder and CEO Garrett Langley said he hopes the company and the department can resolve the issues and resume working together.
“We’ve got to tighten up the policy and make sure everyone is aligned and then turn it back on,” stated Langley.
CEO Defends Technology as Privacy Debate Continues
Flock Safety says its system captures still images of vehicles and reads license plates to help law enforcement investigate crimes and locate missing people. The company says its cameras do not use facial recognition technology or identify drivers.
“The technology is really simple,” Langley said. “A car drives by, we take a picture. It’s a static picture of a car, and then we read the license plate.”
According to the company, license plate data is generally stored for 30 days unless local laws require a different retention period.
Despite those assurances, privacy advocates and some residents remain concerned about the growing use of automated surveillance technology.
“Just knowing that cameras are watching your every move, I mean, even if I’m out walking my dog or anything, I think it’s just a privacy issue,” said Burbank resident Kimberly Forbes.
Flock Highlights Public Safety Benefits
Although the LAPD no longer uses the system, Flock Safety continues operating dozens of cameras across Los Angeles County and tens of thousands nationwide.
Langley said the technology has helped law enforcement locate missing people and identify criminal suspects, including convicted felon Jerrid Powell, who was charged in the killings of four people in Los Angeles.
“Doesn’t the community feel better now?” Langley said. “That person was only on the loose for a few days. I wish it was for only a few minutes.”
Langley acknowledged that privacy concerns deserve consideration but said many critics reconsider their views after learning how the technology functions.
“Once they understand what the technology actually does, not what it might do in 50 years, not what someone thinks it could do, most people go, ‘This makes a lot of sense. I want my kids to be safe,’” he said.
The suspension highlights the continuing debate over automated license plate reader technology as law enforcement agencies, technology companies and communities balance public safety needs with concerns about privacy, data protection and government surveillance.
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