Flock Cameras Tapped by CBP, Police Misuse Alleged

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) accessed approximately 80,000 Flock Safety cameras in the past year, a detail that emerged amidst broader concerns about the misuse of automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology by law enforcement. Flock Safety, a company that manufactures and operates networks of ALPR cameras, has faced scrutiny following an investigation by The Washington Post. This investigation uncovered instances where police officers allegedly used Flock's system for personal surveillance, including tracking current or former romantic partners. One notable case involved Michael Steffman, the Braselton Police Chief in Georgia, who was accused of searching his ex-girlfriend Marci Bakely's license plates and those of her daughter around 600 times. Steffman was arrested in November 2025 on charges of stalking, harassment, and misuse of an ALPR, and he died before his trial. The Post identified at least 50 officers accused of misusing ALPRs, with 26 specifically using Flock cameras for personal reasons. This number has since grown to over 100 police department employees facing accusations or charges related to misuse. Flock Safety maintains that these individuals represent a small fraction of its user base, which exceeds 140,000 monthly users, and states that its audit logs are designed to detect misconduct. However, the reported abuses did not involve hacking or compromised credentials, suggesting a vulnerability in the system's accessibility. The controversy surrounding ALPRs, according to a criminal procedure scholar and director of a forensics school, highlights a potential architectural flaw in the surveillance system itself, beyond the actions of individual officers. Flock cameras capture a vehicle's license plate, location, and distinctive features, such as dents or bumper stickers. The system's AI can categorize license plate images by the date they were taken. Law enforcement agencies can then perform searches without requiring warrants or explicit supervisory approval. In September 2026, analyses of data allegedly copied from a Flock camera by hackers revealed approximately 50,200 vehicles and 1.6 million images over a 21-day period. The software was capable of identifying people and bicycles, and even isolating specific details like an American flag patch on clothing. The CBP's extensive use of these cameras, coupled with the documented instances of misuse by police, raises significant questions about data privacy, oversight, and the potential for widespread surveillance without adequate public awareness or consent. The architecture of the Flock system, allowing for broad access and search capabilities, appears to be a central point of concern for privacy advocates and legal scholars.