El Paso Police to End Use of Flock License Plate Cameras

The El Paso Police Department will cease using Flock's Automated License Plate Reader cameras following the termination of state grant funding, according to KVIA.

City Representative Chris Canales of District 8 announced the halt after being notified by Police Chief Peter Pacillas. Canales had proposed earlier this year that the city decline to renew its Flock agreement and discontinue use of the networked, AI-powered license plate readers. City Council voted 6-2 against that proposal.

Canales said the new decision is the correct one. "Flock has time and time again shown itself to be untrustworthy as a company, with its system prone to misuse and abuse," he said, according to KVIA. "I have many outstanding concerns about potential violations of privacy, data sharing and access, and the many scandals and negative incidents nationwide."

Canales noted he has not observed such problems locally. "For clarity, I haven't seen these issues arise in El Paso. I understand the need for modern solutions to law enforcement, but to me, Flock was never a good solution because of these immense drawbacks and risks," he said.

The end of funding removes a key point of contention that divided the council earlier in the year over the technology's privacy implications and operational risks.