Tempe ponders ban on Flock cameras, ALPRs

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(The Center Square) - The Tempe City Council is considering an ordinance that would prevent the city from using Flock cameras and other automatic license plate readers, a move that is expected to protect privacy and save taxpayers some money.

The Arizona city council will vote on the first reading of the ordinance on Thursday evening.  

The ordinance says Tempe would no longer be able to purchase, operate or fund ALPRs. The city reportedly is not now operating ALPRs.

An ALPR is defined as a system of cameras or sensors that “automatically captures, reads, or records license plates or other vehicle-identifying information.”

If the ordinance became law, Tempe, the eighth-largest city in Maricopa County, would need to destroy all ALPR data in its possession within 30 days. Furthermore, the ordinance says Tempe would need to deactivate all ALPR cameras within seven days and remove them within 30 days.

Council member Bobby Nichols, who sponsored the ordinance, said he anticipated the Tempe City Council will have a "lively discussion” on Thursday. He added that the council broadly supports the policy behind the ordinance.

Nichols, a Democrat, said his constituents have been “overwhelmingly supportive of the proposed ordinance.”

From Sept. 9 to Sept. 15, Tempe conducted a survey to gather feedback from Tempe residents. The survey had nearly 900 responses, and nearly 70% of respondents supported the ordinance.

Nichols told The Center Square that most people understand that banning ALPRs will not prevent law enforcement from solving crimes or safeguarding the public, but rather that the ban would protect people’s data and privacy, “which is essential to public safety.”

There has been some resistance from the Tempe Police Department regarding his ordinance, Nichols noted. He said ALPRs are a tool that law enforcement has gotten used to using, noting he “understands the hesitation" to end their use.

Tempe’s law enforcement “is very responsive to community needs, and if the community decides [it is] not okay with the technology, then that’s going to be what our law enforcement officers move forward with,” the council member told The Center Square.

Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, a public information officer for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, said the office “remains supportive of [license] plate reader cameras because they have proven to be a valuable tool for law enforcement and an additional resource in helping keep our community safe.” The sheriff’s office has a working relationship with the Tempe Police Department.

“We recognize that other law enforcement agencies and communities may have expressed concerns regarding the use of this technology, and we respect that every community must make decisions based on its own circumstances,” Enriquez told The Center Square in an email.

He noted the sheriff’s office remains “committed to making responsible use of available technology while maintaining appropriate safeguards and accountability.”

The sheriff’s office’s goal is to make sure its “deputies have the tools they need to serve the community at the highest level possible and to enhance public safety,” Enriquez added.

Regarding the fiscal impact, Nichols estimated the ordinance could save Tempe taxpayers around $100,000. The council member said the money would go back into the general fund.

The upcoming city council agenda says the ordinance will not have a fiscal impact on Tempe’s funds.

Between fiscal years 2026 and 2027, Tempe’s budget is $1.56 billion, with almost 45% going toward capital projects.

According to Nichols, Tempe does not currently have any ALPRs functioning in the city.

He added that when ALPRs were working, they were Flock cameras.

Nichols previously told The Center Square that Tempe had around 60 Flock cameras.

The council member said all the Flock cameras that remain up have a bag over them to stop them from collecting data.

Flock will start to take down its cameras on Sept. 28, he noted.

The Center Square reached out to Flock, but it did not respond before publication time.

Last week, the Tempe City Council approved a $7 million contract with Axon Enterprise so the Tempe Police Department could purchase body cameras, tasers and a non-ALPR version of Fleet 3 cameras, an in-car police camera system.  

Nichols was the only council member to vote against the contract.