What Is Flock Safety?
Flock Safety is a private surveillance company that deploys Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras across cities. These cameras create a permanent, searchable database of every vehicle's movement—where it went, when, and for how long.
Flock is not a public agency. It's a for-profit corporation that profits from surveillance data.
How ALPR Technology Works
Step 1: Capture
High-resolution cameras mounted on poles, traffic lights, or vehicles continuously photograph passing license plates.
Step 2: Recognition
Optical character recognition (OCR) software reads the plate numbers and extracts the text automatically.
Step 3: Database
Plate numbers, location, timestamp, vehicle description, and photos are stored in a searchable database. This data is permanent.
Step 4: Query
Police, federal agents (ICE), and potentially other entities can search the database for specific plates or movements.
Camera → License Plate Image → OCR Software → Parsed Data
↓
Flock Cloud Database
(Location + Time + Plate)
↓
Police/ICE/Other Query Access
Result: A permanent, searchable map of every vehicle's movement through Woodbury.
What Data Does Flock Collect?
- License plate number
- Date and time of sighting
- Precise GPS location (camera location)
- Vehicle description (color, make, model)
- Photos of the vehicle and sometimes occupants
- Direction of travel
- Speed data (in some systems)
Flock stores this data indefinitely. Once captured, it can be searched forever.
Every time you drive past a Flock camera in Woodbury, your movement is recorded and stored in a database that persists for years. Police and ICE can search this database without a warrant.
Who Has Access to Flock Data?
Local Police: Woodbury Police Department can query Flock data to search for vehicles involved in investigations.
Federal Agents: ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has access to Flock data nationally and uses it for immigration enforcement.
Other Agencies: Depending on contracts, other state and local agencies may also have access.
The Problem: There is minimal oversight or accountability for how this data is used. Queries are often not logged publicly. Residents don't know their data is being searched.
ICE Integration is the most concerning use: Flock works with ICE to support immigration enforcement operations. This means your vehicle data can be used to identify, locate, and deport immigrants.
Cost vs. Benefit
Cost to Woodbury:
- Annual subscription fees (typically $10k-$20k per camera)
- Infrastructure and maintenance costs
- Staff time to manage the system
- Privacy and civil liberties impact (non-monetary but critical)
Claimed Benefit:
Flock claims that ALPR data helps solve crimes and locate stolen vehicles. However:
- Independent research shows Flock's crime-fighting effectiveness is unproven
- Most "hits" are traffic violations or outstanding warrants, not serious crimes
- Other methods (traditional investigation, community tips) can achieve the same results without mass surveillance
- Flock profits from increased deployment—their incentives are misaligned with public safety
Cities like Austin questioned whether Flock's benefits justified the privacy costs. Their answer: no. Woodbury should do the same.
Flock in Woodbury: Current Status
Are there Flock cameras in Woodbury already?
This is unclear. Woodbury city records may not publicly disclose surveillance contracts. This is exactly why we need transparency and FOIA requests.
What we know:
- Many Minnesota cities have Flock deployments or are considering them
- Woodbury may be negotiating with Flock or have pilot programs
- City council decisions about surveillance are often made without significant public input
That's why this matters now. We have an opportunity to stop Flock expansion in Woodbury before it's too late.
🔗 Key Facts
- ALPR captures data on every vehicle, regardless of suspected criminal activity
- Flock data is permanent and searchable indefinitely
- Minimal oversight of who queries the data or why
- ICE uses Flock data for immigration enforcement
- Flock is a for-profit company, not a public agency
- Other cities have rejected Flock based on privacy concerns
- Effectiveness for actual crime-fighting is unproven
→ Learn why we oppose Flock
→ Read detailed research and reports