Sacramento County Sheriff's Office operates Flock network without public transparency portal

First reported: September 21, 2026 · 1 source

The Sacramento Observer reported that the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office runs Flock automated license plate reader cameras without a public Flock transparency portal, leaving residents unable to see the agency's full list of data-sharing partners. Records obtained by a private citizen through a California Public Records Act request and shared with the paper show search logs in which the stated reason for each search is redacted, along with case numbers and license plate data. Some logged searches reached hundreds of Flock networks at once. The Sheriff's Office, led by Jim Cooper, did not respond to the paper's repeated requests for comment before publication.

Why this matters

Search-reason fields have been the primary evidence journalists and watchdogs elsewhere used to identify alleged ALPR misuse, so redacting them limits independent oversight of a surveillance network capable of reconstructing vehicle movements.

Key facts

DeFlock.org counts more than 6,400 US agencies using Flock, with fewer than 900 operating a public transparency portal and roughly 530 disclosing data-sharing partners.
The Sacramento Police Department uses a Motorola Solutions ALPR system rather than Flock; agencies in Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, Yolo County and Placer County use Flock.
DeFlock Elk Grove's records show more than 3,600 organizations ran over 8.3 million searches of Elk Grove plate data between 2021 and March 2026, about 97% from outside the Elk Grove Police Department, including an entity appearing to be U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The group says more than 1.3 million searches came from federal, out-of-state or nongovernmental entities, which it argues may conflict with California's SB 34; it cites $2,500 minimum damages per violation if litigated.
Attorney General Rob Bonta has sued El Cajon over ALPR sharing his office contends is prohibited; El Cajon disputes that interpretation.

Sources

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

Sheriff’s Office Keeps Lock On Flock Camera Use (The Sacramento Observer, September 21, 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 September 21, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.