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A Litchfield Park records request reveals the extent to which a private surveillance company’s license plate reader cameras are used in Arizona.
The camera system, named Flock, is a U.S.-based license plate reader that offers clients like cities and jurisdictions alerts based on FBI system information.
The system is connected to the National Crime Information Center, an FBI database that alerts agencies when automobiles with license plates connected to various law enforcement categories of interest pass their cameras.
There are 16 categories the system uses to alert officers of possible suspects of interest.
According to Litchfield Park, the notification types used by Flock include.
Supervised release
Protection order
Protective interest
Violent person
Missing person
Immigration violator
CPIC data records
Gang or suspected terrorist
Warrants
Stolen vehicle
Stolen plate
Sex offender
Extreme risk protection Order
NCMEC Amber Alert
Missing child
Custom entries created by officers for cases they may work
The last category allows officers to decide who they can track based on possible investigation. According to the city, they need authorization to use this option.
According to the city’s records response, there are “95 agencies/entities (including Litchfield Park) that share their cameras through the Flock Safety network.”
Those cities, police departments, sheriffs and agencies are:
1. Akron OH
50. Jonesboro AR PD
2. Alcoa TN
51. Juab County UT SO
3. Anaheim CA PD
52. La Paz County AZ SO
4. Anderson PD IN
53. Lawrenceville GA PD
5. Apache Junction PD AZ
54. Lexington SC PD
6. ATF Nashville TN
55. Maricopa AZ PD
7. Avon IN PD
56. Maricopa County AZ SO
8. Buckeye AZ PD
57. Matteson IL PD
9. Glendale AZ PD
58. McHenry County IL SO
10. Queen Creek AZ PD
59. Meriwether County GA SO
11. Tolleson AZ PD
60. Mesa AZ PD
12. University of Arizona Campus PD
61. Middlebury IN PD
13. Baldwin County SO GA
62. Milton GA PD
14. Baldwin County SO GA (RedSpeed)
63. Monroe GA PD
15. Bay County SO FL
64. Nephi UT PD
16. Baytown PD TX
65. New Castle County DE PD
17. Beverly Hills CA PD
66. NM - Bloomfield PD
18. Blackman/Leoni Public Safety MI
67. Norridge IL PD
19. Brawley CA PD
68. Ogden Dunes PD IN
20. Calhoun County SO AL
69. Ontario CA PD
21. Carpentersville PD IL
70. Orange Beach AL PD
22. Cathedral City PD CA
71. Orange County FL SO
23. Ceton Neighborhood Watch AZ
72. Oro Valley AZ PD
24. Clearwater PD FL
73. Parker AZ PD
25. Cobb County PD GA
74. Parks Hills MO PD
26. Craven County ABC Board NC
75. Peotone IL PD
27. Decatur PD GA
76. Perry County MO SO
28. East Lancaster PID
77. Pinal County AZ SO
29. El Mirage AZ PD
78. Pittsboro IN PD
30. El mirage AZ PD Raven
79. Ralls County MO SO
31. Florence PD AL
80. Richland County SC SO
32. Fort Worth PID #11 TX
81. Roosevelt Park (AZ)
33. Fort Worth PD Wing Cameras TX
82. Santaquin UT PD
34. Fulshear PD TX
83. Scottsdale AZ PD
35. Germantown PD TN
84. Sedgwick KS PD
36. Gilroy PD CA
85. South Bend IN PD
37. Glencoe PD AL
86. St. Charles County MO PD
38. Glendale AZ Purchase Arrowhead
87. Sterling Heights MI PD
39. Goshen PD IN
88. Sumner County TN SO
40. Haines City PD FL
89. Tempe AZ PD
41. Hamilton County OH SO
90. Titusville FL PD
42. Hardin County TN
91. Ulysses KS PD
43. Herculaneum MO PD
92. University of North Texas at Denton PD (TX)
44. Hillside IL PD
93. USMS
45. Houston Metro Transit Authority (TX)
94. Wellton AZ PD
46. Houston PD (TX)
95. Litchfield Park AZ
47. Houston PD (TX) – Southwest MgmtD
48. Irondale AL PD
49. Jasper County IN SO
.
Of note, there are two national agencies listed on the response. First, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives based out of Nashville, Tennesee, and the U.S. Marshall Service. Twenty-six county sheriff's offices use the camera system, including three Arizona counties. Those Arizona counties are La Paz, Maricopa and Pinal.
In total, 21 agencies in Arizona were tied to the list including a neighborhood watch that shares the name of a street in Laveen, “Ceton Neighborhood Watch AZ.”
Litchfield likes the product
According to Litchfield Park City Manager Matthew Williams, the city doesn’t compulsorily share license plate info with the 95 other organizations.
"I do think it's important for citizens to understand that other agencies can't simply access our system — if there is an information request from another agency — (Avondale Police) will investigate and respond when appropriate,” he said.
Litchfield Park contracts with Avondale for police services.
Williams said in May the system has led to three stolen vehicles/drug possession arrests, one stolen license plate, two criminal damage and two active warrants arrests.
Since installation, the system has been used in more than 125 investigations, and Williams said he believes Flock is invaluable to the community.
“The Flock system is a valuable tool utilized by our contracted police department,” he said. “We are proud of the safety Avondale PD provides and the continuing use of Flock safety.”
According to Litchfield Park’s executed contract, the city grants Flock a “limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use the agency data and non-Aagency end user data.”
The full verbiage and definitions of those data categories can be found on the Litchfield Park Independent website.
