ACLU Sues San Diego and Its Police Department Over Flock Safety License Plate Readers

First reported: October 1, 2026 · 5 sources

The ACLU has filed suit against the City of San Diego and the San Diego Police Department, alleging that the city's network of Flock Safety automated license plate readers violates the privacy protections in the California Constitution. According to CBS 8, the case was brought on behalf of a local community group. ACLU Legal Director Frederick Carroll said the cameras capture more than plate numbers, including vehicle colors, bumper stickers, visible tattoos on drivers, and children walking near schools. The claims have not been tested in court, and the city and department's responses were not reported.

Why this matters

The suit asks a court to decide whether broad, continuous ALPR collection is compatible with California's constitutional right to privacy — a ruling that could shape how other California cities operate or justify similar camera networks.

Key facts

Lawsuit filed by the ACLU against the City of San Diego and SDPD on behalf of a local community group, per CBS 8.
Core claim: the Flock Safety ALPR network violates the privacy right in the California Constitution.
ACLU Legal Director Frederick Carroll alleges the cameras record vehicle colors, bumper stickers, driver tattoos, and passersby near schools.
Residents have held "Get the Flock Out" rallies, including one speaker who appeared at a city council meeting dressed as Darth Vader.
The ACLU has raised similar challenges in San Jose, Oregon, and West Virginia; Santa Cruz canceled its Flock contract and Los Angeles removed cameras.

Timeline

October 1, 2026ACLU Sues SDPD Over 'Spy Cameras' | 101.5 KGB | KOGO News
September 30, 2026Local ACLU chapter sues city, SDPD, to stop using license plate reader cameras

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

ACLU Sues SDPD Over 'Spy Cameras' | 101.5 KGB | KOGO News (101.5 KGB, October 1, 2026)
Local ACLU chapter sues city, SDPD, to stop using license plate reader cameras (fox5sandiego.com, September 30, 2026)
Local ACLU chapter sues city, SDPD, to stop using license plate reader cameras (fox5sandiego.com, September 30, 2026)
ACLU sues city , SDPD over license plate reader technology (kpbs.org, October 1, 2026)
ACLU Sues SDPD Over 'Spy Cameras' (Newsradio 600 KOGO, October 1, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated October 4, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.