Los Angeles Police Terminate Major Vehicle Tracking Contract Over Privacy Fears
Los Angeles, Monday, 13 July 2026.
On July 11, 2026, the LAPD ended its contract with Flock Safety over privacy disputes and system errors that previously caused innocent drivers to be detained at gunpoint.
A Disputed Expiration and the Question of Data Control
The decision by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to allow its three-year contract with Atlanta-based Flock Safety to expire on July 11, 2026, marks a pivotal moment in municipal surveillance oversight [1]. Flock Safety, a prominent venture-backed private firm with no public stock ticker [GPT], operates a massive national network [1]. According to LAPD Chief Information Officer Dean Gialamas, the department chose not to renew the agreement due to deep-seated worries regarding civil liberties, civil rights, and the security of the collected data [1][2]. The primary point of contention centers on establishing clear contractual terms regarding who owns the data and how it is managed after collection [2].
Surveillance Volume and the Risk of Systemic Error
The scale of the LAPD’s tracking network is vast, utilizing approximately 1,500 vehicle-mounted and 160 stationary ALPRs, primarily deployed across the Westside and the San Fernando Valley [2]. In 2024, these systems generated a staggering 1,132,441,520 plate reads, which resulted in 301,655 hits [2]. This means only a minor fraction of scans, calculated as 0.027 percent, actually triggered a match. Critics and civil liberties advocates argue that the remaining vast majority of coordinates map the movements of entirely innocent drivers, raising serious constitutional concerns [3].
Security Vulnerabilities and National Backlash
These technical missteps are compounded by significant security vulnerabilities within Flock Safety’s infrastructure. Investigations have revealed critical data exposures that allowed unauthorized parties to access live surveillance feeds, a lack of multi-factor authentication for police logins, and instances where the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) used local police credentials to conduct unauthorized immigration-related tracking [1]. These issues previously prompted federal lawmakers to request an investigation into Flock Safety on November 3, 2025, to assess whether the network is vulnerable to foreign spies and hackers [1].
Legal Challenges and the Path Forward
Active opposition from grassroots organizations has further pressured the LAPD to halt its relationship with the firm. The Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, which previously filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles over its refusal to release public records related to the AI-powered network, continues to lobby against the technology [2][3]. The Board of Police Commissioners has also shown hesitation, blocking recent donations of Flock camera equipment and requesting an official report on the company’s data practices earlier in March 2026 [2].