LAPD halts crime-fighting license plate cameras amid argument over video rights
The LAPD is suspending its deal with a surveillance company that operates license-plate reading cameras over a disagreement with the vendor over who controls the footage, department officials revealed.
The department is halting its ties with Flock Safety, which operates some of the LAPD’s network of license plate cameras, amid ongoing contract negotiations, department CIO Dean Gialamas told The Post.
Atlanta-based Flock has been accused by left-wing groups of sharing data with ICE to help track down illegal immigrants, although the company says it does not share customer data with any entity, federal or otherwise, without permission.
The LAPD is suspending its agreement with Flock.
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The camera systems are designed to photograph license plates.AFP via Getty Images
Anti-police activists in LA have criticized the technology, saying its data has been used by federal immigration authorities.
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Cities in Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan have severed ties with Flock, while departments in Georgia and Oklahoma continue to use it.
A group called Stop LAPD spying sued the LAPD and the City of Los Angeles over the police department’s refusal to release records related to its use of Flock’s AI-powered camera network.
Gialamas said the LAPD is protecting the privacy rights of citizens.
“Our priority is about protecting the constitutional rights and civil liberties of those we serve,” said Gialamas. “We’re trying to clarify terms so that the data ownership and security is firmed up.”
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The Board of Police Commissioners in March asked the LAPD to issue a report on the data that Flock’s scanners collect and share. The commission declined to approve donations of Flock cameras in recent months.
“There have been concerns raised by the public, by some commissioners, by some of our city council members,” Gialamas said.
The argument stems over a back and forth between LAPD and Flock over rights to footage captured by the cameras.Flock
Flock didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The sticking point is around having very clear terms about who owns the data, what happens with the data once they collect it,” said Gialamas.
Automated license plate readers are either mounted on police vehicles or affixed to poles or portable trailers. They automatically photograph and convert license plate numbers to text, recording the exact location, date, and time.
Los Angeles police use Flock’s automated license plate readers to scan for vehicles that have been reported stolen or are registered to wanted fugitives, tracking their locations throughout the city. Flock is used by about 5,000 law enforcement agencies across the U.S.
