Washington cities suspend Flock cameras after federal agency access revealed
Federal immigration agencies accessed Flock Safety automated license plate reader data from multiple Washington cities without local police authorization, prompting several departments to suspend the systems. A court ruled the camera data must be released as public records, raising broader questions about surveillance oversight and data sharing with federal agencies.
What happened
University of Washington researchers released a report on October 21 showing that federal immigration agencies including ICE and Border Patrol had accessed Flock camera data from at least 18 Washington cities without the knowledge or permission of local police departments.
Redmond police suspended access to their Flock system and agreed to discuss ending their contract after masked ICE agents arrested seven people, at least three within less than a mile of city cameras, raising concerns about whether ICE had accessed local Flock data.
Police departments in Renton, Auburn, Mukilteo, and Lakewood changed their Flock settings after the University of Washington report showed federal agencies had accessed their data without authorization.
On the same day as the tracker date, a Skagit County Superior Court judge ruled that Flock camera images constitute public records subject to disclosure under Washington's Public Records Act.
Reported impact
Privacy advocates raised concerns that federal agencies might be using Flock data to target and arrest immigrants as part of immigration enforcement operations.
The court ruling heightened concerns across Washington about surveillance and the limits of local control over policing technologies, with dozens of police agencies now consulting legal counsel about whether they must disclose Flock footage publicly.
Index analysis
Flock cameras continuously and indiscriminately capture time- and location-stamped photos of any passing vehicles, storing searchable vehicle information including license plate number, make, model and condition.
The Skagit County ruling applied to automated license plate readers that record every car passing roadside cameras, producing streams of timestamped images showing not only plates but also vehicle features and occupants, regardless of whether specific individuals were suspected of wrongdoing.
Governance controls
Redmond City Council member Angie Nuevacamina cited concerns that city officials could not guarantee they would not be forced to release Flock data collected by the devices in the future.
Police departments including Sedro-Woolley and Stanwood had already deactivated their Flock cameras before the court ruling, though the decision made voluntary suspension more consequential for other agencies.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.