Pinal County sheriff testifies Flock misled about camera capabilities

28 September 2026.

Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism on September 23, 2026, accusing Flock Safety of providing misleading information about its automated license plate reader cameras. Teeple ended the county's contract with Flock in August 2026, becoming the first Arizona county to do so, citing Fourth Amendment concerns about the technology.

During the weeks before termination, Teeple said he sought clarification from Flock representatives after residents noticed newer, larger cameras replacing older equipment and expressed concerns about surveillance. According to Teeple's account, company representatives initially told him the newer cameras could not capture high-resolution images capable of identifying individuals, but when he reviewed actual images from the cameras, he could recognize faces. When he asked whether the cameras used artificial intelligence, he said he received conflicting responses, eventually learning that Flock's system does use AI to track vehicles across the network and create vehicle digital fingerprints.

Flock responded by sending a letter from its director of public trust and technology stating that fixed license plate reader cameras capturing vehicles in plain view do not violate Fourth Amendment protections. The letter did not address concerns about AI technology or image resolution. Senators noted that while individual vehicle photographs on public roads typically raise no constitutional privacy issues, Flock's system's ability to reconstruct any driver's complete movement patterns over time and across distances presents different concerns. Teeple emphasized that Pinal County continues to use non-Flock license plate readers on anti-smuggling vehicles and has found automated readers valuable for locating fugitives and missing persons, supporting their use with appropriate safeguards.

Readers can check their own county's automated license plate reader contracts through county board of supervisors records and sheriff's office procurement documents.

Read the original reporting: azcapitoltimes.com.