Paradise Valley automated license plate reader cameras remain in use amid privacy concerns

By Allison Kotzbauer
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The Town of Paradise Valley plans to retain its use of Flock automated license plate reading cameras despite a flurry of Valley cities looking to end their relations with the company.

The Paradise Valley Police Department conducts weekly audits of the system and has not found any concerning use or misconduct, according to Paradise Valley Police Chief Freeman Carney.

PVPD Public Information Officer Kelly Ingram said the audits are conducted internally by the department using information provided by Flock.

“Flock automatically records system activity, including searches and associated user information. PVPD reviews that activity weekly to ensure use of the system is consistent with Department policy and is for legitimate law-enforcement purposes,” she stated in an email.

Although as of Aug. 18, no misuse of Flock cameras by department personnel has been found, PVPD does have procedures in place if concerning activity was found in an audit, Ingram stated in an email.

“Depending on the nature of the concern, access to the system may be suspended while the matter is reviewed,” she stated. “If the review identifies potential misconduct, the matter would be addressed in accordance with the Department’s established investigative and disciplinary procedures.”

PVPD has not changed or updated its policies or procedures surrounding Flock camera use because of recent discovery of other departments’ misuse but they will remain alert to any additional checks and balances of the system as they arrive and implement what feels most appropriate.

“PVPD, as with all evolving technology, will continue to evaluate available auditing and accountability features and determine whether additional policy or procedural changes are appropriate,” Ingram stated.

Paradise Valley currently has Flock cameras installed at 26 intersections, according to Ingram.

Ingram also stated PVPD does not automatically share its ALPR camera database with other municipalities.

Paradise Valley Town Manager Andrew Ching said in his Aug. 14 weekly update that the town is aware of misuse of ALPR cameras by other agencies, but the Paradise Valley Police Department remains committed to “responsible use, transparency, accountability and public trust” in its use of the technology.

“The Paradise Valley Police Department has used license plate reader technology for more than 10 years to support investigations to help keep our community safe. The technology has helped disrupt burglary groups, investigate kidnappings, recover stolen vehicles, and assist in locating victims,” Ching wrote in his weekly update.

Several cities last week announced they were discontinuing contracts with Flock after spotting what most called misuse or “anomalies.”

Flock, one of the largest companies making ALPR cameras, uses artificial intelligence to capture information about vehicles, including their location and the time they were recorded, according to the company. That information is stored for seven days unless the law or an authorized investigation requires otherwise.

According to Flock’s website, data is shared only to the extent an agency allows, searches are tied to individual user profiles and searches are reviewed for potential misuse.

The cameras are designed to assist law enforcement with investigations.
According to Flock’s Impact Census, the technology helped locate more than 10,000 missing people in 2025.

Ching clarified that ALPRs capture license plates, not drivers’ faces and the system does not use real-time tracking or facial recognition.

During the past month, agencies across the Valley have ended their contracts with various ALPR companies, launched investigations into potential officer misuse and limited how much data is shared and with whom in response to concerns about employee abuse of the technology.

In  Tempe, the city stopped sharing data from its cameras with other entities Aug. 10. According to a city press release, the decision came in response to privacy concerns raised by the community and recent misuse of the system by two local law enforcement agencies.

“While we had previously restricted data sharing to Arizona law enforcement agencies only, this additional step will further safeguard Tempe’s data and ensure we maintain appropriate control over access,” said Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy in a press release.

Chandler Police Department, Apache Junction Police Department and  Pinal County Sheriff’s Office will not renew their camera contracts, and Chandler Police employees are now blocked from using the technology until the contract expires.

Police in  Surprise and Goodyear have opened investigations into potential abuse of the ALPR systems by officers and the Surprise Police Department has stopped all use of the cameras.

Allison Kotzbauer can be reached at akotzbauer@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines

Allison Kotzbauer
Reporter | Paradise Valley

akotzbauer@iniusa.org

Community: I live in central Phoenix and my writing  focuses on Fountain Hills education, and the Paradise Valley and Scottsdale communities. 

Education: I graduated from Arizona State University in May 2026 with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. My studies focused on writing and visual story-telling.  

Random Fact: Growing up I had over 10 pets including 6 cats, 1 dog, 2 hermits crabs, and too many fish to count! 

Hobbies: I like to spend my free time hiking, crafting, cooking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.