Advocates question 1,710 NYPD searches of Flock database despite no known contract

First reported: September 24, 2026 · 3 sources

LatinoJustice PRLDEF and the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) say the third-party site HaveIBeenFlocked.com shows NYPD-linked searches of Flock Safety's license plate reader database 1,710 times between 2023 and 2025, even though no public contract between the department and Flock is known to exist. The groups filed a public records request this week seeking audit logs, training guidance, and any communications or payments involving Flock. An NYPD spokesperson said the department is reviewing the inquiry and denied having a contract with Flock; Flock Safety did not respond to the outlet's requests for comment. The advocates say most NYPD entries on the site likely came from records released by other law enforcement agencies, and that the nature of any NYPD-Flock relationship remains unclear.

Why this matters

New York City's POST Act was designed to require public disclosure of NYPD surveillance tools, so questions about undisclosed access to an outside ALPR network test whether that transparency framework captures data shared through other agencies' systems.

Key facts

Advocates cite 1,710 NYPD-associated searches of the Flock database between 2023 and 2025, drawn from HaveIBeenFlocked.com, which compiles search records obtained through public records requests.
An NYPD spokesperson denied any contract with Flock Safety and said the department is looking into the matter; Flock did not respond to the publication.
The NYPD separately contracts for ALPR access through Flock competitor Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions, including hundreds of ELSAG cameras.
Under POST Act policy guidance updated in February, NYPD license plate readers may only be used in public areas and capture plates readily observable to the public.
LatinoJustice and S.T.O.P. filed a records request seeking audit logs, training materials, communications, and payment records; the answers are not yet public.

Timeline

September 24, 2026Did the NYPD fail to disclose Flock camera database access?
September 24, 2026Did the NYPD fail to disclose Flock camera database ?
September 29, 2026NYPD officers used controversial Flock surveillance system for 1700 searches

Sources

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

Did the NYPD fail to disclose Flock camera database access? (amsterdamnews.com, September 24, 2026)
Did the NYPD fail to disclose Flock camera database ? (amsterdamnews.com, September 24, 2026)
NYPD officers used controversial Flock surveillance system for 1700 searches (SILive.com, September 29, 2026)

More from New York

Everything we have documented in New York, or search every New York 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 September 29, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.