Scottsdale council divided on ending Flock camera program
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16 August 2026. [AI first draft. Verify every fact against the source before publishing.]
Scottsdale's City Council is reconsidering the police department's use of 85 Flock Safety automated license plate readers following a wave of cancellations in neighboring jurisdictions and reported officer misuse in the Valley. Mayor Lisa Borowsky requested a council presentation and discussion on the system. Councilwoman Solange Whitehead stated her priority is to end Scottsdale's Flock contract, arguing the company failed to maintain privacy safeguards. Councilman Barry Graham said residents' right to privacy outweighs surveillance benefits. Other council members expressed mixed views: Councilwoman Maryann McAllen called the cameras successful but supported a public presentation, while Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas emphasized balancing safety with constitutional privacy protections. In November runoff candidates, Raoul Zubia opposed the system citing privacy and data breach concerns.
Scottsdale approved another year of Flock funding in June, embedded in the city's 2.1 billion dollar budget that began July 1, despite citizen complaints in fall 2025 and earlier in 2026. The decision came as nearby Chandler announced August 7 it would discontinue 40 fixed Flock cameras after discovering an officer misuse. A Chandler officer admitted using the system to locate an older family member with health concerns and subsequently resigned. Nationally, over 100 communities have rejected automated license plate readers according to deflock.com, citing concerns about warrant-less tracking and documented officer misuse including stalking, immigration enforcement, and reproductive rights violations.
These cameras capture vehicle location, date, and time data on millions of drivers regardless of criminal suspicion. Scottsdale residents can check their city council's agenda for upcoming Flock presentations, review meeting minutes from prior contract approvals, and file public records requests for policy documents and audit reports on system use.
Read the original reporting: Scottsdale Progress.