Flock Safety, the automatic license plate reader (ALPR) company, previously featured at least four police departments in promotional YouTube videos that have since faced allegations of misusing its technology, according to a report published by WIRED in August 2026.
The departments involved are the Savannah Police Department and Albany Police Department in Georgia, the Sandy Springs Police Department also in Georgia, and the Baytown Police Department in Texas. Each was spotlighted in Flock videos ranging from 2020 to 2025 as examples of effective law enforcement partnerships.
The consequences at each department have been significant. In Savannah, four officers and two department workers were placed on administrative leave following an internal investigation into potential ALPR misuse. In Albany, five officers were fired and subsequently charged by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for misuse of license plate data and violating their oaths of office. A Sandy Springs officer was terminated last year amid a similar internal investigation, and a Baytown officer resigned last week as investigations into alleged misuse continued.
Misuse allegations have extended well beyond these four departments. Reports have emerged from police agencies in Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin, as well as from sheriff’s offices in Coweta, Cherokee, Habersham, and Richmond counties in Georgia.
In response to WIRED’s inquiry, Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel said that “misuse was identified and addressed” and argued the incidents demonstrate that accountability mechanisms are functioning. “When improper use is detected, agencies can investigate, take action, and hold individuals accountable,” Lewbel said in an emailed statement.
The pattern suggests that ALPR misuse can occur even at departments publicly promoted as models of the technology’s use. While internal review processes have caught violations in each case, the breadth of incidents across multiple states raises questions about the consistency of oversight surrounding ALPR systems nationwide.
Source: WIRED