Documented Incident
Audit logs show Chicago police ran 23,000+ Flock searches without a city contract
Event: May 1, 2026 · First reported: October 7, 2026 · 4 sources
Audit logs obtained by FOX 32 Chicago after months of requests show Chicago Police Department officers conducted more than 23,000 searches of the Flock Safety license plate reader network between May and July 2026, though the city has no active contract with the company. Flock cameras in Chicago are owned privately by landlords and businesses that pay annual subscriptions and decide whether to share their data, and CPD can also gain access when other agencies share their networks. CPD referred questions to the city's Office of Public Safety Administration; Flock did not respond to the station's request for comment.
Because the access flows through private camera owners and other agencies rather than a municipal contract, the usual contract-based guardrails — search rules, retention limits, audit requirements — do not clearly apply, raising questions other cities face about who governs police use of privately owned surveillance networks.
Key facts
- Audit logs show more than 23,000 CPD Flock searches from May through July 2026.
- Chicago does not have an active contract with Flock Safety.
- Stated search reasons ranged from traffic stops and welfare checks to robberies and homicides.
- Flock says camera owners and agencies set their own data-sharing permissions.
- CPD directed questions to the Office of Public Safety Administration; Flock did not respond to FOX 32.
Timeline
- October 7, 2026Chicago police accessed Flock camera data despite no city contract
- October 10, 2026Chicago Cops Ran 23,000 Flock Camera Searches Through a City Agreement
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Chicago police accessed Flock camera data despite no city contract (FOX 32 Chicago, October 7, 2026)
- Chicago police accessed Flock camera data despite no city contract (FOX 32 Chicago, October 7, 2026)
- Chicago Cops Ran 23,000 Flock Camera Searches Through a City Agreement (Hoodline, October 10, 2026)
- Chicago police access privately owned Flock cameras through city agreement (FOX 32 Chicago, October 8, 2026)
More from Illinois
Everything we have documented in Illinois, or search every Illinois article in the archive.
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 12, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.