09/01/2026
What to know before Flock cameras come to your town...
1. They see a lot more than your license plate
“License plate reader” doesn’t quite capture what Flock cameras do. They use AI to track a car’s plate, make, color, distinguishing details, location, and time—creating a searchable history of where vehicles have been.
Flock now operates 120,000+ cameras across 49 states.
2. There is bipartisan opposition
As the Cato Institute put it, Democrats and Republicans have united behind a common enemy, with Flock cameras "documenting everybody."
50+ cities and counties have cut ties with Flock in 2026, including 20+ in July alone.
3. They have helped law enforcement solve millions of crimes
Flock claims they helped solve 1M+ crimes and locate roughly 10,000 missing people last year.
The cameras replace biased human memory with neutral vehicle data, which founder and CEO Garrett Langley says could help move policing toward a more objective approach.
4. ICE is legally barred from using the them, but found a side door
Even if you support aggressive immigration enforcement, how Flock is being accessed should give you pause. ICE has no contract with Flock, and Flock’s rules prohibit using its cameras for immigration enforcement. Yet local police have reportedly run thousands of searches on ICE’s behalf.
If it can be repurposed once, what stops the next use?
💡The debate isn’t black and white.
There are real benefits, real concerns, and a lot worth understanding.
Read the full breakdown: https://buildersmovement.org/2026/08/26/flock-cameras-what-to-know/
