Tempe has become the third metro Phoenix city to cut ties with Flock's controversial automatic license plate reader system.
The move comes two weeks after the city opted out of sharing its data with other law enforcement agencies, launched a transparency portal and announced that the search for a new vendor was underway.
But on Aug. 26, the company said in a news release that no other company will replace Flock following national concerns about the risks that come with the technology. There have been several examples of possible misuse of the system across the country and in the Valley.
Tempe has found no misuse of its system, according to the news release.
Mayor Corey Woods said he doesn't discount that the cameras have helped the police department
solve crimes. But the risk of misuse was too great, he said.
"We have to be able to provide public safety in a way that maintains the trust of our community. For Tempe, that means taking these cameras down," said Woods in a statement.
Councilmember Bobby Nichols said any law enforcement tool the city used should not pose a risk of infringing on people's civil liberties.
"I’m grateful to the City staff for this quick action and responsiveness to constituents' concerns," Nichols said.
The end of automatic license plate reader cameras will change how Tempe police approach some of their investigations, according to the news release. Officers will continue to use investigative tools and law enforcement partnerships.
Flock cameras will continue to be seen in the city until the company removes them. No data is currently being collected. Data that was previously collected is stored for 30 days and will be automatically deleted unless it's connected to an ongoing investigation, according to the news release.
Elena Santa Cruz covers the West Valley cities of Glendale, Surprise and Peoria. Reach her at elena.santacruz@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on X @ecsantacruz3.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tempe becomes latest Valley city to remove Flock cameras
