The **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)** announced on July 11 that it would not renew its contract with **Flock Safety**, a prominent provider of automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera technology. The move stems from an ongoing disagreement regarding who controls the vast amounts of data collected by Flock's systems and the adequacy of privacy safeguards. ### Audit Uncovers Flaws The decision to pause the relationship was prompted by an inspector general's audit. This audit urged the department to halt its use of Flock technology until enforceable privacy and security rules could be implemented. Crucially, the audit revealed that over a two-month period, the LAPD investigated 161 car owners whose vehicles were erroneously identified as stolen by Flock's ALPR system, leading to unnecessary stops and potential harassment of innocent individuals. ### Data Ownership at the Core **Dean Gialamas**, the LAPD's Chief Information Officer, emphasized that the core of the dispute revolves around clarifying data ownership and establishing clear terms for data collection, usage, and retention. "The sticking point is around having very clear terms about who owns the data, what happens with the data once they collect it," Gialamas stated. He added that the LAPD would not resume using Flock until "those data, privacy, security and sharing concerns [are] ironed out through a contractual relationship." ### Widespread Adoption, Growing Scrutiny Thousands of police departments nationwide utilize **Flock Safety** and similar ALPR technologies, enabling officers to track vehicle movements and monitor individuals' locations multiple times daily. However, these systems have faced increasing controversy. Recent reports have highlighted instances of **Flock Safety** sharing data with immigration authorities and a local department using ALPR data to investigate a woman suspected of having an abortion. The technology has also been deployed to track protestors in various cities, raising significant civil liberties concerns. ### Flock Safety Responds A spokesperson for **Flock Safety** expressed surprise at the LAPD's decision, stating confidence that ongoing discussions would clarify any "misconceptions." The company affirmed its commitment to working with the LAPD to ensure that any continued use of its technology includes "strong privacy protections, strict auditability, clear accountability, and appropriate limits around data access." ### A Growing Trend The LAPD, as the largest police department to break with **Flock Safety**, signals a growing trend. Several other communities, including Seattle, Austin, Texas, Eugene, Oregon, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Dayton, Ohio, have already terminated or reversed course on their ALPR contracts, often citing similar privacy and oversight concerns.