Documented Incident
Wayne County, Utah sheriff publishes Flock contract, ALPR policy and public transparency portal
Event: August 6, 2026 · First reported: August 7, 2026 · 1 source
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Utah has published its Flock Safety contract, its automated license plate reader policies, and an opt-in transparency portal showing usage statistics and search audit data. As of Aug. 6, 2026, the portal listed 22 cameras (21 of them plate readers), 38,025 unique vehicles detected and 12 searches over the prior 30 days, plus 45 hotlist alerts. Several logged searches listed reasons such as camera testing or possible damage, one said only "FOLLOW UP," and three had blank reason fields. Flock Safety told ABC4 that transparency portals are available to agencies but each agency decides whether to publish one and what to include.
Voluntary disclosure of ALPR contracts, policies and search audits gives residents a rare window into how a small agency uses the technology, while the blank and vague search justifications illustrate the limits of self-reported audit data.
Key facts
- Portal data as of Aug. 6, 2026: 22 cameras, 21 plate readers, 38,025 unique vehicles detected and 12 searches in 30 days; 45 hotlist alerts.
- Three of the 30-day searches had no reason recorded and one listed only "FOLLOW UP."
- The sheriff's office says it bans use for immigration enforcement, traffic enforcement, harassment, protected-class targeting and personal use, and classifies all Flock images as evidence.
- Wayne County shares data with agencies from Florida to Washington and receives data from Utah agencies plus Paradise Valley, Ariz. and Fort Worth, Texas police.
- Publishing a transparency portal is opt-in; Flock says courts have upheld warrantless use of fixed plate readers, while advocates including Provo resident Dallin Flake argue retroactive searches create a "dragnet" on movement.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Wayne County shares ‘transparency portal’ documenting county usage of Flock Safety license plate readers (AOL.com, August 7, 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 15, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.