A growing number of U.S. cities are deploying automated license plate readers (ALPRs) from Axon as scrutiny of rival surveillance company Flock Safety continues to mount. Recent city council records and police department announcements show municipalities either replacing Flock systems with Axon technology or expanding existing relationships with the Scottsdale, Arizona, company—which is already a major supplier of Tasers, body cameras and digital evidence management systems to law enforcement agencies across the country. The trend was highlighted in an August report by 404 Media, which found that some cities moving away from Flock were not abandoning ALPR cameras altogether, but instead turning to Axon as an alternative provider.
Meanwhile, privacy advocates continue to raise concerns about the rapid expansion of license plate reader technology, arguing that the systems can create vast databases tracking the movements of millions of drivers. Newsweek has contacted Axon and Flock Safety for comment via email. Several cities have recently approved or announced deployments of Axon license plate reader technology.
In Antioch, California, city council documents show that officials approved an agreement for 55 fixed Axon ALPR locations, along with mobile and vehicle-mounted systems. The proposal noted that the Antioch Police Department already used other Axon technologies, including body cameras and digital evidence tools, creating a more integrated platform across the department. In Durango, Colorado, the Durango Police Department announced on September 1 that it would transition its ALPR program from Flock Safety to Axon.
Police Chief Brice Current said the city selected Axon because it met the department's public safety needs while incorporating privacy safeguards. "We will transition to Axon, a long-standing technology partner whose ALPR platform meets our standards while balancing safety and privacy in our public-safety technology," he said in a news release. In Bartlesville, Oklahoma, city officials approved police technology contracts that included new Axon ALPR cameras while reducing the number of Flock cameras used by the department.
Officials cited the city's existing relationship with Axon technology as part of the decision. 404 Media also identified several communities that replaced Flock systems with Axon as local debates over surveillance technology intensified.These include the following areas: Unlike many newer surveillance technology companies, Axon already has long-standing relationships with thousands of law enforcement agencies. Police departments that use Axon body cameras, evidence management tools, in-car video systems and Tasers can integrate those technologies into a single ecosystem. That existing footprint may be helping the company win new business as local governments reexamine relationships with Flock.
Speaking to NPR in August, Axon CEO Rick Smith said concerns about Flock had benefited his company. "I would say we're seeing a significant number of agencies want to come over to Axon and convert from existing license plate readers to us, specifically because of the controls and privacy work that we've done around this space," Smith said. Both companies sell ALPRs designed to help law enforcement investigations by identifying vehicles linked to crimes, locating stolen cars and generating investigative leads.
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