Documented Incident
Garfield County, Utah installs eight Flock ALPR cameras; one vandalized within days
First reported: August 6, 2026 · 1 source
The Garfield County Sheriff's Office said it installed eight Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras over several weeks at locations along U.S. Highway 89, State Route 143 and State Route 12. Within days, the agency said, one camera was intentionally vandalized, prompting a public statement defending the deployment and warning that damaging public property is a crime. The sheriff's office said the cameras do not record continuous video, that searches require a legitimate law enforcement purpose tied to a case number or documented incident, and that every query is logged. Privacy advocates, including Provo resident Dallin Flake, have argued the systems create a searchable record of drivers' movements without a warrant.
The deployment shows ALPR networks expanding into rural highway corridors, where a small number of cameras can cover most routes in and out of a county. The dispute over warrantless database searches and retention remains unresolved in many jurisdictions, making local policy commitments and audit logs the primary oversight mechanism.
Key facts
- Eight Flock Safety cameras were installed along U.S. Highway 89, State Route 143 and State Route 12 in Garfield County, Utah.
- The sheriff's office said one camera was intentionally vandalized within days of installation; no arrests were reported in the article.
- GCSO said searches must be tied to a valid case number or documented incident and that all searches are logged for accountability.
- The agency cited ALPR use in tracking a suspect in a Wayne County triple homicide and in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Deette Spencer, who has not been located.
- Flock Safety says courts have upheld warrantless use of fixed LPR cameras and that its system does not collect personally identifiable information; critics say vehicle data alone can reveal movement patterns.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Garfield County installed controversial Flock AI cameras, and they’ve already been vandalized (ABC4 Utah, August 6, 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 11, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.