How these systems get bought.

Texas: most cameras are owned by HOAs, MUDs and retailers — not the government

Reporting on Texas removal efforts found that most Flock cameras in the region are not owned by counties or police at all: municipal utility districts, neighborhood associations, retail stores and homeowners associations buy their own systems and choose whether to share footage with law enforcement — which is why local governments cannot simply remove them. Guadalupe County, Hood County, Bandera, Lago Vista, Magnolia, Austin and San Marcos have removed cameras; Conroe is pushing a November ballot measure and League City's mayor floated the same. Harris County renewed through June 2027 at roughly $869,000; Dallas runs 650 cameras and plans a one-year retention; Texas DPS approved a $26 million contract; East Aldine's package runs five years at nearly $1 million.

Public safety and privacy are not mutually exclusive.

— Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis

Source · KPRC/Houston Public Media · read it

Reporting says the 2026 contract terms grant a data licence that survives termination

Reporting on Texas jurisdictions trying to exit Flock states that the company changed its contract language in 2026 in ways that make exits harder, and that the terms grant Flock a perpetual right to use customer data even after a government has terminated its relationship.

That kind of permanent, warrantless tracking doesn't belong in a free society.

— Hood County Constable John Shirley

The other side Flock has said publicly that it does not own and does not sell customer data.

Source · Houston Public Media / KPRC · read it

Oklahoma City renewed 5-3 after weeks of delay, with new restrictions

The council renewed the Flock contract 5-3. Changes: the city, not Flock, controls federal sharing; retention cut from 30 to 7 days; data removed from the nationwide sharing platform except case-by-case; manual audits every 30 days. Council heard that an officer had been suspended three days for personal database use in 2024-2025.

Those aren't numbers. Those are people impacted.

— Police Chief Ron Bacy

The other side This is an example of a contract renegotiated rather than ended.

Source · KGOU (NPR Oklahoma) · read it

Roadside safety: poles without breakaway features prompt a nationwide Flock review of 100,000+ installations

A WGME I-Team investigation found standalone Flock poles in Maine appeared to be installed too close to the roadway or without breakaway features. MaineDOT standards generally require poles at least six feet from the roadway edge unless breakaway-equipped; MaineDOT said it had received no applications for Flock installations and that state right-of-way placement would require a waiver process. Safety advocate Steve Eimers documented hundreds of installations nationwide that may not meet state or federal standards. Flock announced a nationwide review of more than 100,000 installations.

This has been the wild west, this whole thing. We have to have standards in place so if we're going to have these devices on the roadside, then we know they're crashworthy.

— Steve Eimers, roadside-safety advocate

The other side Flock said that if its review identifies installations that should be updated, it will move quickly to address them.

Source · WGME (CBS 13, Portland) · read it

404 Media: leaked Flock guide teaching police how to sell Flock to city councils

404 Media obtained a Flock coaching document titled "How to Speak to City Councils: Meeting the Moment with Confidence," which instructs departments to brief city managers and council members before votes, to script presentations, to reframe cost discussions around "the cost of unresolved crime," and not to contest the "mass surveillance" characterization directly.

Own the narrative before someone else does.

— Flock's coaching document for police departments

The other side Flock did not respond to a request for comment.

Source · 404 Media · read it

Chetek, Wisconsin — police chief installed cameras without telling the mayor or council

The Chetek Police Department installed two Flock cameras without notifying city leadership. Chief Ron Ambrozaitis said he did not need council permission because the purchase fell within the department's equipment budget.

He put them up without informing me or any of the council. He just went and did it.

— Mayor Jeff Martin

The other side The mayor ultimately supported the purchase, saying the chief had authority to buy investigative tools.

Source · WEAU (NBC 13) · read it

Bowling Green, Kentucky — AG upheld withholding of Flock camera locations from a records request

Journalist Morgan Watkins requested the locations of Bowling Green's Flock cameras; police refused. The Kentucky Attorney General ruled the department did not violate the open records law, finding camera locations tied to ongoing law enforcement efforts and exempt.

could reduce their effectiveness and interfere with police work

— The Attorney General's decision

The other side The decision is appealable to circuit court. This is a transparency ruling, not a misuse finding.

Source · WBKO · read it

Austin — police kept using Flock data after the city ended its program

After the council ended Austin's Flock contract in June 2025, KUT found APD accessed Flock cameras operated by Round Rock and Sunset Valley police departments within the prior month. APD said it has no direct Flock access but can request data from other agencies.

There may be situations where APD requests assistance from peer law enforcement agencies, such as during a joint investigation.

— Austin Police Department

The other side Austin PD said it has no direct access and that it may request assistance from peer agencies during joint investigations, and that it was evaluating its previous policy.

Source · KUT (NPR Austin) · read it

A state transportation department found more than 200 unauthorised cameras and paused approvals

A state department of transportation identified over 200 cameras installed in the state right-of-way without authorisation, and paused further permit approvals. Reporting identified unpermitted installations across at least seven states.

The other side The company has attributed permitting failures to unclear jurisdiction lines between agencies.

Source · Forbes and state records, 2026 · read it

Denver — mayor extended the contract below the council-approval threshold; auditor asked to review

Mayor Mike Johnston extended Denver's Flock contract for approximately $500,000 without council approval, keeping it below the threshold requiring council authorization. Nine council members wrote to City Auditor Timothy O'Brien alleging the administration circumvented council authority. Denver's Flock data was exposed to national searches, including by federal immigration agents, until April 2025; the reporting notes there is no evidence it was used in immigration cases.

We do not believe that the City and County of Denver should continue doing business with a company that has demonstrated such disregard for honesty and accountability.

— Council members' letter

The other side The mayor's office said the no-cost extension was within his authority, and one council member said nothing illegal had been done.

Source · Denverite · read it

Evanston — Flock reinstalled cameras after the city terminated; city issued a cease-and-desist

Evanston deactivated its 19 Flock cameras and terminated the contract, citing the Illinois Secretary of State audit and Flock's admission that it had not created distinct permissions for federal users. In the weeks that followed, Flock reinstalled stationary cameras around the city. Evanston issued a cease-and-desist on September 18 demanding removal. The final two cameras were removed in March 2026 following a reporter's inquiry.

The findings … combined with Flock's admission that it failed to establish distinct permissions and protocols … are deeply troubling.

— City of Evanston

The other side Flock says no basis for any allegation that it broke Illinois law has been shared with it.

Source · City of Evanston statement · read it

Forbes: unpermitted Flock installations across at least seven states

Forbes reported Flock installed cameras on public roadways without required state DOT permits. Florida DOT removed a camera from the John's Pass Bridge and in July 2023 required a compliance review of up to 842 cameras. South Carolina found over 200 unpermitted cameras since spring 2022 and the Transportation Secretary imposed a moratorium on new installations. IDOT identified at least 38 unpermitted cameras. TxDOT denied permits for 136 cameras placed behind guardrails or on traffic lights. In North Carolina a judge enjoined Flock staff from installing cameras while the company operated without a required alarm-system license.

It's getting to the point where a company is willing to break the law.

— South Carolina Rep. Todd Rutherford

The other side A Flock spokesperson said the company operates to the best of its abilities within the bounds of the law, has nearly 50 people dedicated to permitting, said jurisdictional boundaries are not always clear, and committed to retroactive permitting.

Source · Forbes · read it