Come on in, the side door is open!
More than three out of four Flock agencies report running queries for other departments at least monthly, bypassing oversight and preventing adequate logging. One in five do so daily.
By H.C. van Pelt2026-07-28
Quick Takes
Short notes, corrections, and brief observations.
13 posts
Costa Mesa Keeps Flock
After an officer abused two police databases to stalk women, Costa Mesa, California, heard nearly five hours of resident opposition — cutting speakers' time partway through — before voting 6-1 to keep the system.
By H.C. van Pelt2026-07-22
Cleveland Makes First Flock Referendum Possible
Cleveland's Flock contract extension passed 9-6 — one vote short of emergency effect, giving Clevelanders 30 days to force a referendum.
By H.C. van Pelt2026-07-17
Flock Ignores Contract, Bypasses Approval for Invoices
Flock's contract requires prior approval before replacing hardware. Records from Riverside County show Flock replacing cameras and invoicing after the fact — and the county unable to keep track of what it's being billed for.
By H.C. van Pelt2026-07-08
Urban Combat Veteran Announced as Flock Forward Keynote Speaker
Flock's annual conference will be keynoted by Matt Eversmann, an urban combat veteran of the Battle of Mogadishu — hired by a company whose CEO calls its critics "terrorists."
By H.C. van Pelt2026-07-05
Thornton PD Investigated Itself and Found no Wrongdoing
Focusing only on the overall search count, not the substantive issues, Thornton PD cleared itself of wrongdoing.
By H.C. van Pelt2026-05-04
Pattern of Life: Why a City Canceled Flock
Oshkosh, WI, approved a contract with Flock, then canceled it the next day because Flock had lied about a "Pattern of Life" heatmap. We let Flock explain what that is.
By H.C. van Pelt2026-04-24
Flock Quietly Breaks "No Federal Access" Promise
Flock tells communities it has no federal contracts. Once the city signs, it quietly grants the FBI access anyway.
By H.C. van Pelt2026-04-23
Within 24 Hours
Milk ages slower.
By H.C. van Pelt2026-04-07
Virgin Islands Looking for Stolen Cars in Arkansas
Virgin Island police are looking for traffic infractions and stolen vehicles in the Ozarks.
By H.C. van Pelt2026-03-20
Sunlight for the Surveillers: Why I Publish Audit Logs
Unredacted audit logs aren't a leak—they're the only functional check on surveillance abuse
By H.C. van Pelt2026-01-13
"License Plate Reader Company Flock Said It Does Not Use Dark Web Data. My Analysis of Their Code Tells a Different Story"
Analysis published on NexaNet.ai reveals Flock extensively uses Dark Web Data, despite public claims to the contrary.
By H.C. van Pelt2025-12-17
Flock Blocks VPNs from Transparency Portals
Flock blocks VPN access to transparency portals, requiring citizens to be trackable to view public surveillance records.
By Have I Been Flocked Team2025-12-12