US cities push back against Flock Safety license plate reader cameras
US cities have deployed Flock Safety AI-powered license plate reader cameras that track vehicle locations in real time through national databases, sparking privacy concerns. At least 53 cities in 20 states have reportedly begun rejecting the technology due to surveillance concerns and lack of regulatory oversight, particularly regarding potential use in immigration enforcement.
What happened
At least five Nevada cities and counties, including Clark County, Reno and Sparks, have deployed agreements with Flock Safety, an automated license plate reader company, in the past three years. Clark County has at least 200 cameras and Washoe County at least 180, according to publicly available police department data.
The cameras collect license plate information and vehicle details, then plug that information into a national database police can use to search vehicle locations in real time, even beyond their own jurisdictions. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department entered into an agreement without public discussion.
Reported impact
At least 53 cities in 20 states have reportedly begun deactivating or rejecting the technology due to concerns about surveillance and data use, with 38 cities opting out of Flock's systems in the past six months alone.
Local authorities and privacy advocates have argued that the technology has facilitated the development of a far-reaching surveillance network. Concerns have been raised about potential usage of data by agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement in immigration raids against undocumented immigrants.
Index analysis
Nevada has no laws to regulate license plate reader cameras, and only 16 states nationwide have implemented legislation addressing the use of such cameras. Nevada is not among them, and a search of legislation does not turn up any bills discussing the issue in 2025.
State lawmakers have said it has been difficult to keep up with the pace of the technology, and it is unclear just how ubiquitous the devices are. Information on where the cameras are located is not publicly available in some jurisdictions.
Governance controls
Assm. Selena Torres-Fossett said there have been several conversations among lawmakers about the need to do something, though legislative efforts to regulate automated camera systems have faced challenges due to the rapidly changing nature of the technology.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.