Cities Are Ditching Flock, Immediately Replacing It With Axon License Plate Readers
Rather than get rid of ALPR cameras entirely, many cities and towns are switching to Axon, whose cameras can be mounted to an existing streetlamp, helping them blend into their surroundings.
A number of U.S. cities have recently replaced Flock's automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras with systems from Axon, according to local media outlets and government documents from across the country. Axon's ALPR cameras are advertised as AI-powered devices that can blend in with existing streetlights and are equipped to collect license plate data from police officers' patrol vehicles.
The shift to Axon comes as opposition grows to Flock, which has been linked to ICE, the tracking of an individual who self-administered an abortion, and widespread abuse by law enforcement officers who have stalked their former partners. While some cities may end up contracting with Axon, which has faced less scrutiny and backlash, the move does not necessarily mean an end to ALPR cameras.
In February, Syracuse lawmakers voted to approve a contract between the Syracuse Police Department and Axon after the department had been using Flock cameras since summer 2024. In March, the Denver City Council voted 7-6 to replace the city's Flock cameras with Axon ones, with the one-year contract covering 50 ALPR cameras. Grand Chute, Wisconsin, voted in June to replace its Flock cameras with Axon, while the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Colorado signed a nearly $22.8 million contract with Axon in July.
The contract included 100 Axon cameras and first responder drones. In December, the City of Ferndale, Michigan, dumped Flock and approved a deal with Axon, citing privacy concerns and Flock's failure to protect images stored on its network from unauthorized agencies. Axon's ALPR cameras differ from Flock's in that they are installed inside police officers' vehicles, constantly scanning license plates and creating timestamped logs of where each vehicle has been.
However, Axon does not have a national network for sharing data, unlike Flock. This lack of a national network has been cited as a reason for switching by some cities, as it prevents law enforcement officers in one jurisdiction from searching cameras in other jurisdictions.
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