LAPD sued over Flock Safety license plate cameras

LAPD sued over Flock license plate readers

Activists are suing the Los Angeles Police Department over its partnership with surveillance company Flock Safety.

LOS ANGELES - A local watchdog group has launched a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, accusing the Los Angeles Police Department of illegally concealing the extent of its partnership with surveillance giant Flock Group, Inc.

What we know:

The Stop LAPD Spying Coalition filed a Public Records Act request in February 2024 seeking all contracts, agreements, and Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) between the LAPD and Flock Safety. 

According to the lawsuit, the LAPD has only produced a single, expired document from 2025, despite evidence that the two entities have shared data and hardware for at least seven years. 

SUGGESTED: South Pasadena to remove Flock Safety cameras over privacy concerns

Flock’s AI-powered cameras capture not only license plates but also vehicle make, model, and color, creating a searchable map of driver movement, according to the watchdog group.

What they're saying:

The coalition argues that the department is intentionally suppressing documents to avoid community scrutiny before a major MOU expires this July. 

"In an attempt to prevent community scrutiny, LAPD is suppressing documents that would reveal the exact terms of LAPD’s access and oversight of Flock’s growing surveillance network," the group stated. 

They further allege that the data is used to "criminalize immigrants, sex workers, protestors, abortion, [and] gender-affirming care." 

The other side:

The LAPD released the following statement to FOX 11 in response to the lawsuit: "The Department does not comment on pending litigation."

What we don't know:

The exact number of Flock cameras currently accessible to the LAPD remains unclear, as does the specific volume of data shared with federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Local perspective:

The use of Flock cameras varies across the region. 

In March, the city of South Pasadena announced it would not be renewing its contract with Flock Safety, resulting in the decommissioning of 14 cameras installed throughout the city. 

The decision was made after reports surfaced that data from Southern California law enforcement—including agencies that South Pasadena shares data with—was accessed by ICE and other out-of-state entities.

What you can do:

Community members concerned about local surveillance can attend the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition's weekly meetings, held every Tuesday at 6 p.m at the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN) in Skid Row. 

The public can aso voice concerns during the weekly meetings of the Board of Police Commissioners at City Hall.