We are asking these county officials to end their contracts with Flock Safety and take down the automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras in Marion, Wapello, Appanoose, and Wayne counties in Iowa.

DeFlock.org, a volunteer-run project that maps these cameras across the country, currently shows 22 reported cameras in these four counties: 12 in Marion, 5 in Wapello, 3 in Appanoose, and 2 in Wayne. [1] These numbers are likely under the actual amount, since reporting depends on volunteers spotting and logging each camera.

These cameras record every vehicle that passes, capturing license plates, car makes, colors, and even bumper stickers, and store that information in a searchable database. It records every driver, whether or not they are suspected of any crime. That is not targeted policing; that is mass surveillance

There are also the legitimate concerns about this data ending up in the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Flock's own system allows agencies to share data across a national network, and even when local policies say otherwise, oversight has been inconsistent. [2] Residents deserve to know their local police cannot be used as a pipeline into federal immigration sweeps.

There is also a documented pattern of officers abusing this technology for personal reasons. Across the country, dozens of officers have been disciplined, fired, or criminally charged for using Flock cameras to track ex-partners, romantic interests, and people they had no legitimate reason to monitor. [3] The Institute for Justice has tracked dozens of these cases, including one Kentucky officer who tracked his ex-girlfriend more than 2,000 times. [4] This has happened repeatedly.

A few notable Iowa communities are already pushing back. Coralville's city council voted to end its Flock contract and removed its cameras in February 2026. [5] Waukee chose not to renew its contract in August 2026. Indianola suspended its ALPR program the same month. [6] Osceola and Clarke County voted to end their Flock contract as well. [7] These towns decided that the risks to privacy and civil liberties outweighed the benefits, and these counties should do the same.

We are calling on the Marion, Wapello, Appanoose, and Wayne County boards of supervisors, and any city councils within these counties, to:

1. End all current contracts with Flock Safety.
2. Remove existing ALPR cameras from public roads.
3. Reject any future proposals to install this or similar surveillance technology without a public vote and full transparency.

Sign this petition to demand that your county act. You can also reach out directly to your county supervisors and city council members to make it clear to them that you do not want this surveillance in your community. Show up to board meetings when this issue comes up.

Sources:

1. DeFlock camera counts by Iowa county — https://deflocktheusa.com/flock-cameras/iowa/
2. Iowa Public Radio, "Cities around Iowa ditch Flock cameras amid growing privacy concerns," Aug. 2026 — https://www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/2026-08-27/flock-cameras-privacy-concerns-indianola
3. Institute for Justice, "Police Have Reportedly Used License Plate Readers to Stalk Romantic Interests Dozens of Times in Recent Years," April 2026 — https://ij.org/police-have-reportedly-used-license-plate-readers-to-stalk-romantic-interests-at-least-14-times-in-recent-years/
4. CNN, "Police officer arrested after tracking ex-girlfriend on Flock camera system over 2,000 times," Aug. 2026 — https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/26/us/flock-kentucky-police-officer-arrest
5. KCRG, "Coralville removes Flock cameras after council votes to end contract," Feb. 2026 — https://www.kcrg.com/2026/02/25/coralville-removes-flock-cameras-after-council-votes-end-contract/
6. The Cool Down, "Iowa police department drops Flock cameras as privacy fight heads to state lawmakers," Aug. 2026 — https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/waukee-iowa-police-flock-safety-contract-privacy-concerns/
7. Osceola Sentinel-Tribune, "Council says 'no' to cameras," Sept. 2026 — https://www.osceolaiowa.com/article/1238,council-says-no-to-cameras

See also:

1. https://www.change.org/p/remove-flock-cameras-from-des-moines-county-iowa
2. https://www.change.org/p/remove-all-flock-cameras-in-sioux-city-iowa