Syracuse, NY
The Syracuse Common Council voted unanimously on March 23, 2026 to revoke Flock Safety's privileges to place license plate readers in the city's right-of-way, finalizing the city's break with the vendor. The council had already approved a replacement contract with Axon Enterprise in February 2026. The decision followed reporting that Syracuse Police Department data was included in 175 CBP-related searches between March 10 and May 1 of the prior year after federal agents gained access through another agency's data-sharing agreement in Flock's national network.
What moved this decision
- Syracuse Police Department data swept into 175 CBP-related searches via Flock’s national network
- City had no control over which outside agencies could query its data
- Council concern about federal enforcement acting without warrants
What happened afterwards
Flock physically removed its license plate readers roughly eight months after the process began. Syracuse did not abandon ALPR technology — it switched to Axon Enterprise, which itself holds federal contracts, and Flock retains 'anonymized' Syracuse data under its terms even after cancellation.
What we still don’t know
These are the records we would need to describe this decision completely. If you can help obtain them, or already have them, get in touch.
- What data Flock retains post-termination and under what terms
- Whether the Axon contract carries stronger contractual limits on out-of-jurisdiction and federal queries than the Flock agreement did
- Flock has publicly disputed the immigration rationale, noting Axon holds DHS contracts
Sources
- Central Current — Syracuse lawmakers ice out Flock Safety in favor of company contracting with ICE
- Central Current — Federal immigration agents accessed Syracuse drivers' data through secret Flock Safety deal
- Central Current — Flock Safety removes its license plate readers, finalizing eight-month breakup with City of Syracuse