Chandler has become the largest city in Arizona to discontinue its Flock automated license plate reader contract.
A news release from Aug. 7 said a routine audit of the Flock data identified an "anomaly in the use of the Flock system that could not be explained through standard police action."
"Our initial review makes it clear that no Chandler resident, or any member of the public, had their privacy compromised," the statement continued.
The move follows a tumultuous and long City Council meeting in May during which the Council discussed the renewal of a $153,000 contract with Flock Safety, a company that provides ALPR cameras for police use. The Council ultimately decided to delay voting on the renewal until Aug. 13.
In recent years, Flock has
increasingly been scrutinized for allowing federal agencies, including U.S. Border Patrol, to access data without some police departments' explicit approval ― something the company adamantly denies.
Chandler's decision comes after the Pinal County Sheriff's Office also decided not to renew the contract.
This is a developing story. Check back with azcentral.com for updates.
Lauren De Young covers transportation and the cities of Tempe and Chandler for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at ldeyoung@azcentral.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chandler moves to discontinue controversial surveilance contract
