The controversy surrounding Flock camera technology and how it’s used is back in the spotlight again Monday.
Groups in Renton and Seattle are rallying against the cameras, saying they are an invasion of privacy.
The Renton rally is being held at Renton City Hall from 5- 7 p.m. Monday, with the city council meeting to follow.
The Seattle rally is being held at Seattle City Hall at 12:30 pm Monday, with the city council meeting to follow.
Both groups say they want people to show up and bring signs and banners to show their support for the camera ban.
Flock technology is equipped with ALPR, or license plate readers, to flag plates and cars associated with criminal activity or missing people.
The cameras are not live; the footage is stored and used by departments within seven days after being recorded to prevent any abuse.
The timeframe recently moved from 30 days of storage down to 7 days after controversy around privacy concerns.
Flock CEO Garrett Langley recently addressed the allegations of misuse around officers using the stored data for personal searches.
“If you try to use this tool illegally, you will get caught. I hope states pass bills to make that criminal, not just a termination; it should be an offense if you abuse your power,” Langley said.
According to Deflock, there are around 2000 flock-contracted cameras across Washington state.
You can see those here.
Indivisible Seattle President Kathleen Carson is pushing back on whether the cameras are actually helpful.
“Surveillance doesn’t stop bad things from happening and doesn’t help,” Carson said. “There’s very little evidence that it helps any sort of solving of crime; it really is to keep track of everyone in ways we should all be uncomfortable with.”
Cities who do not currently use Flock technology:
Lynnwood
Tacoma
Olympia
Renton
Edmonds
Redmond
Mt Vernon
Mountlake Terrace
Olympia
Pierce County
Tacoma
Everett
Seattle does not use Flock, they use real-time CCTV cameras instead that are not monitored 24-7.
However, the future of those is currently under review as Mayor Katie Wilson has repeatedly said they are a privacy concern.
Cities currently using Flock technology:
SeaTac
Covington
Normandy Park
Auburn
Officers say the cameras don’t prevent crime but help track the suspect quickly afterwards.
In one example, King County Deputies recently got into a chase with a driver after Flock flagged a car as stolen.
The suspect was wanted for burglarizing a storage unit earlier in the day and stealing the car.
He was also later charged with felony eluding as well.
Officers say the Flock technology is helpful in arresting criminals quickly, while others feel the surveillance is a personal overreach that is used negatively.
In Washington, SB6002 was passed and signed into law in Spring 2026. It creates guidelines and regulations on how Flock data can be used and stored.
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