What is Flock?

Flock automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and cameras are part of an AI-powered surveillance system designed to automatically capture vehicle characteristics and track people in public spaces. While their marketing pitch sounds good in theory, they create significant safety concerns. They record and store 24/7 surveillance data that can be shared with ICE and other bad actors, effectively turning neighborhoods into surveillance zones that target immigrants and vulnerable members of our community.

Learn more at DeFlockUCity.com

University City's Values

University City Mayor Terry Crow says we are a community with "a tradition of strong community; progressive leadership; and a desire to be a model community for this region and the nation." We are a community that prides itself in our diverse and multi-cultural population.

Flock cameras fundamentally contradict these core values of community and progressiveness. Instead of fostering trust and safety, these surveillance tools create an atmosphere of fear and suspicion that disproportionately threatens our immigrant neighbors and people of color.

As of April 2026, there are at least 18 known Flock ALPRs in University City. U City Neighbors United, a group of concerned residents, got U City's $200K plan to the expand the Flock program by 16 cameras removed from the City Council agenda in March 2026, but this may only be a temporary delay. In order to get the expansion permanently tabled, and the remaining Flock cameras removed from our community, City Council will need to hear from more concerned citizens like YOU.

Below are details about Flock's surveillance system and the specific concerns that have led many in our community to call for their removal.

 

ICE Has Access to Flock Data

Contrary to Flock's assurances, ICE and federal authorities have gained access to Flock data through multiple pathways:

• Direct sharing - At least 8 Washington police departments gave Border Patrol direct access to their Flock networks.
• Unauthorized access - Border Patrol accessed data from 10+ agencies without permission.
• Proxy searches - Local police conducted over 4,000 searches on ICE's behalf nationwide.
• Mass violations - San Francisco allowed 1.6 million ICE-related searches, violating California law.
• Regional searches - Virginia networks were searched 4,000+ times using immigration terms.

Multiple police departments in our area have signed 287(g) agreements with ICE, creating potential pathways for immigration enforcement to access University City's ALPR data. This includes police departments in Hillsdale, Breckenridge Hills, Woodson Terrace, St. Ann, Jefferson County, and St. Charles County.

 

Flock Errors Endanger Everyday People's Lives

Flock ALPR errors have repeatedly led to cases of mistaken identity, leading to traumatic and dangerous interactions with police.

• Brandon Upchurch was attacked by a police dog and had his head rammed into the ground after a Flock camera misread a "7" as a "2" on his license plate, causing police to falsely accuse him of driving a stolen vehicle.
• A Colorado family with a 6-year-old child was awarded $1.9 million after they were forced to lie face down on hot pavement at gunpoint when Flock cameras mistakenly flagged their car as stolen.
• In February 2026, an Arkansas family was stopped at gunpoint after Flock misread their license plate number.

These are not isolated incidents, but part of a pattern where people are emotionally and physically harmed due to technological errors. None of these people expected to be put in these situations, but they were - and unfortunately it could happen to anyone.

 

Flock Cameras are Abused with Little Oversight

Documented abuses of Flock cameras reveal how these systems can become instruments of harassment, misconduct, and constitutional violation. 

• A Kansas police chief used cameras 228 times over four+ months to track his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend's vehicles.
• Law enforcement has used Flock cameras to circumvent constitutional protections by conducting automated surveillance first, then manufacturing probable cause afterward to justify stops and seizures.
• Flock employees have violated company policies by accessing live and recorded footage of children at playgrounds, schools, gymnastics centers, and private facilities.

This growing list of abuses demonstrate how Flock technology threaten our right to privacy, constitutional protections, and community safety, requiring urgent community oversight and accountability measures.

 

Change IS possible!

Over 50 communities nationwide have successfully taken action to protect residents from Flock's surveillance risks, including the Dutchtown Community Improvement District here in St. Louis.

University City now has the opportunity to join this grassroots movement against invasive government surveillance that endangers everyday people and provides far too many opportunities for abuse. Sign this petition and tell University City City Council members to:

• Vote against the proposed expansion of U City's Flock program;
• Terminate any existing Flock contracts;
• In the case that immediate termination of the contract is not possible, implement transparent, publicly-accessible policies that restrict system usage and data-sharing until the contract can be terminated; and
• Avoid contracts with other networked ALPR technology companies, such as Genetec, Axon, Motorola, Neology and Leonardo.