Flock Promotional Videos Feature Police Departments Facing Misuse Allegations
AI-generated image · US National Wire
The ALPR company highlighted several agencies in marketing materials that later saw officers fired or arrested for improper use of the technology.
As Wired first reported, Flock, a company providing automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology, featured at least four police departments in promotional YouTube videos that subsequently faced allegations of misusing the system.
In a March 2022 video, Flock highlighted the Savannah Police Department. Recently, an internal investigation led to four officers and two workers being placed on administrative leave for "potential misuses" of the technology. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson stated that the investigation, conducted via the Flock Safety Audit Assistance Program, identified 127 inappropriate searches out of 39,000 conducted this year. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is currently reviewing the matter.
Flock also produced a 2024 video featuring the Albany Police Department, which included interviews with senior crime and intelligence analyst David Sparks and Chief Michael J. Persley. On July 6, the Albany Police Department fired five officers following an internal investigation into "serious policy violations." The GBI charged these officers for violating their oaths of office and the misuse of license plate data.
Other agencies featured in Flock's marketing include the Sandy Springs Police Department in a 2020 video regarding "porch pirates" and the Baytown Police Department in a 2025 video about a carjacking. Last year, a Sandy Springs officer was terminated following a misuse investigation, and last week, a Baytown officer resigned amid ongoing investigations into similar allegations.
Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel told Wired that the existence of accountability tools and internal review processes ensures that improper use can be detected and addressed. Lewbel argued that these mechanisms prove oversight is working and that individual incidents should not lead to the broad condemnation of a city or department.