Editor,
Open letter from a resident addressed to the Mayor of Buckeye, City Council Members, and the Chief of Police.
Dear Mayor of Buckeye, City Council Members, and Chief of Police,
I am writing to you today as a resident of Buckeye to formally request that the City of Buckeye immediately suspend and cancel its contract with Flock Safety for automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras.
While I appreciate the Buckeye Police Department’s commitment to public safety, the recent wave of critical failures and high-profile tech misuse across our neighboring Arizona municipalities proves that the severe risks to civil liberties and data privacy far outweigh the benefits of this mass surveillance system
- In just the past year, multiple Maricopa County and West Valley agencies have abruptly terminated or suspended their Flock contracts after discovering severe system misuse by their own personnel
- Chandler and Surprise both canceled their Flock contracts and ordered equipment removal this month following alarming investigations into officers using the technology for unauthorized personal tracking
- Tempe just deactivated all of its cameras on August 26, 2026, officially concluding that the inherent potential for system misuse outweighs any law enforcement benefits.
- Goodyear has launched criminal and internal investigations into potential technology misuse by an officer, and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office canceled its contract over Fourth Amendment and data retention concerns.
This is not just a local issue; it is part of a rapidly growing national pushback. Over 80 municipalities and law enforcement agencies across at least 28 states have canceled, terminated, or refused to renew their contracts with Flock Safety due to these exact concerns. Major cities like Los Angeles (LAPD), Denver, and Austin have dropped or suspended their programs. Cities like Mountain View, California, and Oak Park, Illinois, uninstalled their cameras after audits revealed that local data was being shared in direct violation of city policies and sanctuary ordinances.
While the Buckeye Police Department currently conducts monthly audits and maintains a transparency portal, no amount of auditing can completely eliminate the vulnerability of a centralized, private database that tracks the daily movements of innocent citizens. The widespread abuse uncovered across Arizona and the rest of the country proves that these systems are structurally prone to insider threats, overreach, and unexpected contractual liabilities regarding long-term data retention.
Our neighboring cities and major municipalities nationwide have recognized that mass surveillance does not align with the values of liberty, privacy, and responsible government. I urge the Buckeye City Council and Police Department to follow their lead, protect Buckeye residents’ constitutional rights, and terminate the city’s relationship with Flock Safety.
Thank you for your time, consideration, and dedication to the safety and privacy of our community.
Michael Neuses
This is a letter to the editor. You can submit your letters to [email protected]
One Response
I somewhat agree with the flock camera abuse, but i also feel that the need for the cameras is growing in buckeye because as the city grows, crime has become a major factor in our community.
Child sex traffickers as well as sexual abusers have become a part of buckeye in the recent years and I believe flock cameras can help catch the predators and help protect our community from such crime if used correctly.
Any city can stop the abuse with just setting a persidence with the people that have abused the system.