PHOENIX – Amid growing awareness of and opposition to Flock cameras and suspected misuse of the technology, the City of Surprise has suspended the use of its automated license plate readers (ALPR).
The city operated 28 of these camera systems to track vehicle data and assist in criminal investigations.
Police did not detail the specific anomaly in the system’s use, nor did they identify the officer who was placed on administrative leave.
According to the city, it has launched an investigation into a potential violation of its ALPR policy, and a Surprise Police Officer has been placed on administrative leave until the investigation can be completed.
“Let me be clear, I support giving our law enforcement all of the tools they need to keep our city safe and catch criminals, but this new technology lacks the adequate guardrails in place to prohibit misuse at this time,” stated Councilman Jack Hastings.
“Public trust is of the highest importance to the Surprise Police Department and maintaining that trust requires transparency and accountably,” said Surprise Police Chief Evan Becher. “While we still need to complete an investigation into this irregularity, we are taking this incident very seriously. That is why we took immediate action to halt the program, investigate the issue and make the community aware of it.”
To help ensure ALPR is only used for legitimate public safety investigations, the City maintains a policy to safeguard against misuse, which includes regular audits of the system. The most recent audit, conducted this week, functioned as intended by identifying an incident of irregular use. However, the City is taking this opportunity to evaluate additional safeguards that could further strengthen oversight.
“This technology has proven to be extremely valuable in solving serious crimes. As we look to continue the use of this public safety tool, we want strong safeguards in place that not only alert of misuse but also prevent it,” said Chief Becher. “Surprise Police Department is committed to ensuring enhanced protections are in place before reimplementing use of ALPR cameras.”
Additional information will be released as appropriate and upon the conclusion of the investigation.
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