Flock police misuse allegations now reach four departments the camera company previously featured in promotional YouTube videos: Savannah and Albany in Georgia, Sandy Springs in Georgia, and Baytown in Texas. The cases involve different personnel actions and different stages of investigation, but together they show alleged improper use can arise at agencies Flock publicly showcased. They do not establish department-wide wrongdoing or that Flock committed the alleged misuse.
Flock sells automated license-plate reader, or ALPR, systems. The cameras capture license plates and other vehicle identifiers. Police can receive alerts when a vehicle on a hotlist passes a camera, or search a plate number for recorded sightings, according to CNN.
Which Flock-featured departments face misuse allegations?
- Savannah Police Department: Flock published a video featuring Savannah in March 2022. Savannah later placed four officers and two other department employees on administrative leave after an internal investigation found potential misuse of the ALPR system, WIRED reported. Local broadcaster WJCL reported that the department reviewed about 40,000 searches, with an audit tool flagging 127 for review and investigators finding 34 that could not be justified. The reported allegations include searches involving personal acquaintances and relatives that lacked a law-enforcement purpose, plus one alleged instance of an officer giving outside-agency personnel access. Savannah referred the matter to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to WJCL.
- Albany Police Department: A 2024 Flock video featured Albany officials discussing the system's use in addressing property crime. On July 6, Albany said it had fired five officers following an administrative inquiry into serious policy violations. The department said three were dismissed for improper ALPR use, while the other two were fired over separate violations identified during that inquiry. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged all five former officers with misuse of license-plate data and violating their oaths of office, WIRED reported. Those charges are allegations, not convictions.
- Sandy Springs Police Department: Flock highlighted Sandy Springs in a 2020 video about package theft. One officer was terminated amid an internal investigation into alleged misuse of Flock technology, according to WIRED. The available reporting does not establish the investigation's outcome or the details of the alleged conduct.
- Baytown Police Department: Flock featured Baytown in a 2025 video about a carjacking response. A Baytown officer resigned while investigations into alleged misuse continued, WIRED reported. The supplied reporting does not establish that the allegation was proven.
How did Savannah find the possible misuse?
Savannah's case was identified through an internal audit, rather than a public complaint, according to WJCL. That distinction matters because license-plate-reader searches generate logs that can be reviewed after the fact. Flock says its platform logs and makes searches reviewable, a company claim that Savannah's reported audit process illustrates in practice.
Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel told WIRED that misuse in these cases was identified and addressed. He said agencies' accountability tools and internal reviews exist so they can investigate improper use and take action against individuals.
The record here is uneven by design: administrative leave is not a finding of misconduct; a resignation is not an adjudication; and Albany's criminal charges remain allegations. The confirmed common thread is narrower. Personnel at four departments Flock promoted later faced consequences or investigations connected to alleged misuse of its technology, while Savannah's internal audit identified potential misuse before any public complaint.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
