Documented Incident

Rep. Tlaib introduces bill to bar federal funding for Flock and other ALPR systems

Event: October 14, 2026 · First reported: October 14, 2026 · 10 sources

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, announced the "Get the Flock Out of Our Communities Act" at an Oct. 14, 2026 press conference in Inkster, Michigan, held near a Flock camera. The bill would bar federal agencies from operating AI-powered mass surveillance tools including automated license plate readers, prohibit federal funds from being used to buy or run them, and condition certain federal grants on state and local governments divesting from such systems. Inkster, which recently signed a 10-year contract with Flock and plans to expand from six readers to 20 along with gunshot detection devices and a drone, was chosen as the backdrop; Mayor Byron Nolen said at an Oct. 12 press conference that the technology is an effective crime prevention tool.

Key facts

• Tlaib's bill would require municipalities such as Detroit, which she said operates more than 400 ALPRs, and Inkster to remove cameras and collected data to stay eligible for federal law enforcement grants.
• Roughly 180 Michigan law enforcement agencies use Flock cameras; Tlaib's office said Flock operated in over 5,000 communities across 49 states in 2025 and performed more than 20 billion U.S. vehicle scans monthly.
• Tlaib alleged the technology has been used to stop women, track patients who received abortions, suppress protesters and contribute to wrongful arrests.
• Ten Metro Detroit communities — including Clawson, Westland, Milford, Ferndale and Lincoln Park — canceled Flock contracts over the prior six months.
• Michigan Senate Bill 1131 and House Bill 5493 would limit data retention; neither has cleared committee, and Michigan Chiefs of Police Association Director Ron Wiles opposes both.

Timeline

• October 14, 2026Tlaib bill aims to ban federal funding for Flock cameras
• October 14, 2026Tlaib bill aims to ban federal funding for Flock cameras
• October 15, 2026Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduces bill to prohibit federal funding for Flock technology

Sources

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

• Tlaib bill aims to ban federal funding for Flock cameras (The Brunswick News, October 14, 2026)
• Tlaib bill aims to ban federal funding for Flock cameras (The Detroit News, October 14, 2026)
• Rashida Tlaib introduces anti Flock camera bill (The Detroit News, October 14, 2026)
• Rashida Tlaib bill seeks to block federal surveillance funding (wnmufm.org, October 15, 2026)
• Rashida Tlaib bill seeks to block federal surveillance funding (wkar.org, October 15, 2026)
• Tlaib bill aims to ban federal funding for Flock cameras (Detroit Local News, October 14, 2026)
• Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduces bill to prohibit federal funding for Flock technology (CBS News, October 15, 2026)
• Tlaib unveils bill to prohibit use of federal funding for Flock, other automated surveillance tech (Michigan Advance, October 14, 2026)
• Rep. Tlaib introduces bill to prohibit Flock cameras, mass surveillance tech (Audacy, October 14, 2026)
• Tlaib Unveils Bill to Ban Federal Funding for Flock Cameras Amid 'Mass Surveillance Crisis' (Common Dreams, October 14, 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 19, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.