LYNNWOOD—The Lynnwood Police Department (LPD) has temporarily paused use of its Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system, known as Flock Cameras, to address community concerns about data privacy and system access.
“Flock cameras have already proven to be an invaluable investigative tool in solving crimes and keeping our community safe,” said Police Chief Cole Langdon. “However, it’s equally important that we maintain the public’s trust. Out of respect for the concerns raised and our commitment to transparency, we have chosen to pause the system while we strengthen safeguards to ensure the technology is used responsibly and lawfully.”
During this pause, all system access has been disabled, and cameras have been turned off. This decision reflects an abundance of caution and a proactive effort to ensure that the system’s operation fully aligns with community expectations, privacy standards, and legal requirements.
Mayor Christine Frizzell defended the use of flock cameras stating they continue to play a vital role in the city’s public safety efforts, granting valuable insights on criminal activity taking place within the city, and allowing the city to “strategically deploy” its resources.
“A University of Washington report on automatic license plate readers (or ALPR) data was released in which the Lynnwood Police Department’s use of the flock camera system was mentioned. In response our Chief of Police, and his team, put out a statement to the public reiterating our commitment to privacy and public safety,” said Frizzell.
At its January Business Meeting, the City Council approved the Lynnwood Police Department, in a unanimous vote, to enter into a two-year agreement with Flock Safety to lease 25 of its Falcon ALPR cameras to be placed at strategic—high traffic and/or high-crime—locations around the city. The first system came online back in June.
By July of 2025, the flock cameras have detected 23 stolen vehicles each month, as well as 43 stolen plates presumably from stolen, or wanted, vehicles – which is three times the amount of recovered stolen vehicles the city of Lynnwood has recovered over the last three years.
Commitment to Responsible Technology Use
LPD remains confident in the public safety value of ALPR technology and is equally committed to earning and maintaining community trust. Before any reactivation, the Department will conduct a thorough review of vendor agreements, system settings, and departmental policies. This process involves collaboration with the City Administration, the Lynnwood City Council, and community stakeholders to ensure that privacy protections are robust and transparent.
Background on Lynnwood’s ALPR Program
- Flock cameras provide officers with real-time information to identify and locate vehicles involved in crimes within our community.
- Funded by a Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WATPA) grant, the program deployed 25 cameras beginning June 29, 2025.
- Shortly after implementation, LPD identified that a vendor feature called “nationwide search” which provided access that wasn’t authorized by LPD.
- On July 8, 2025, the Department worked with Flock Safety to immediately disable the feature and control access.
- On October 30, 2025, LPD paused the program entirely to further evaluate and enhance privacy controls.
Positive Outcomes and Investigative Value
While active, the ALPR system contributed to numerous successful investigations and public safety efforts, including:
- Averaging 66 alerts per month for stolen vehicles or license plates — the equivalent of nearly 800 alerts per year.
- Assisting in the recovery of multiple stolen vehicles and the arrest of suspects involved in child sexual assault, narcotics investigations, theft, and identity crimes.
- Locating a missing elderly male, helping ensure his safe return home.
- Providing critical leads to regional law enforcement partners in ongoing criminal investigations.
These successes underscore the potential of ALPR technology to support public safety when paired with responsible oversight and clear privacy safeguards.
Community Engagement and Next Steps
LPD encourages residents to continue sharing feedback, ideas, or concerns about the use of ALPR technology in Lynnwood. Comments can be sent to: crimeprevention_flocksafety@LynnwoodWA.gov
The Department will provide regular updates as the review progresses and remains committed to a transparent, accountable process that balances safety, privacy, and community trust.
Source: Lynnwood Police Department with addition of Flock stats and Mayor Christine Frizzell by Lynnwood Times
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
One Response
It is interesting to see LPD discussing maintaining community trust with what I have found with records requests so far.
They stated to council referencing Flock searches that “…They have to give a reason for that, they have to cross reference it with a case number. ”
Turns out, they have not exactly been 100% compliant with that. I have found multiple instances of obviously fake case numbers such as 0000 or 420 and many where a case number is simply not provided. Some of the fake case numbers were associated with “Warrant out of TX”, and as that state allows bounties on women seeking reproductive healthcare, I find that to be a huge red flag!
Don’t take my word for it, the site linked to my profile includes the raw data from the record requests, feel free to check my work!