Documented Incident
Bernalillo County sheriff says he will end Flock Safety contract, cites loss of trust
First reported: August 25, 2026 · 5 sources
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen told KOB 4 he is ending his agency's relationship with license plate reader vendor Flock Safety, saying he lost trust in the company. Allen said he told Flock representatives at the company's conference in Atlanta that he might drop them or add other vendors, and that Flock's response — which he said included warnings about losing system access unless the agency maintained a certain number of cameras — was not part of his contract and struck him as poor business practice. He said he plans to seek a different ALPR vendor but will hold a county town hall before deciding next steps.
A sheriff who supports ALPR technology but is dropping a specific vendor highlights how contract terms, data-sharing controls, and network access rules — not just the cameras themselves — shape agency oversight decisions.
Key facts
- Sheriff John Allen said he is ending Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office's use of Flock Safety, citing loss of trust.
- Allen said he had already cut off Flock data sharing with Torrance and Curry counties over concerns about ICE access to that data.
- KOB 4 reported last year that it obtained backdoor access to Allen's investigations through Flock; a state law passed last year closed that access.
- Allen said he intends to look for another ALPR vendor and to hold a county town hall before making a decision.
- Allen described the issue as balancing constitutional rights and crime rather than taking a side for or against the technology.
Timeline
- August 25, 20264 Investigates: Sheriff Allen explains why he’s firing Flock Safety
- August 28, 2026Bernalillo County sheriff to cancel Flock surveillance contracts over privacy concerns
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- 4 Investigates: Sheriff Allen explains why he’s firing Flock Safety (KOB 4, August 25, 2026)
- 4 Investigates: Sheriff Allen explains why he's firing Flock Safety | 10 p.m (NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts, August 25, 2026)
- Bernalillo County sheriff to cancel Flock surveillance contracts over privacy concerns (Albuquerque Journal, August 28, 2026)
- FRI: Bernalillo County sheriff to end Flock contracts amid privacy concerns, + More (KUNM, August 28, 2026)
- FRI: Bernalillo County sheriff to end Flock contracts amid privacy concerns, + More (KUNM, August 28, 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 August 28, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.