LAPD lets Flock Safety contract expire over data ownership disputes

Los Angeles Police Department allowed its three-year Flock Safety license-plate-reader contract to lapse 12 July 2026. As the third-largest US police force, LAPD was Flock's largest government customer. CIO Dean Gialamas cited unresolved civil liberties and data governance concerns. Negotiations stalled over custodianship of collected plate data—who controls retention, export, and access. Flock's January 2026 federal-sharing opt-out did not address these contractual terms. Mountain View and South Portland previously ended Flock relationships over similar privacy concerns.