SU installs license plate readers from Flock, company linked to ICE activity
SU’s DPS is installing Flock Safety license plate readers on campus, which DPS said will increase safety. Investigative reporting across the U.S. has linked Flock to federal immigration enforcement through its data-sharing practices. Brycen Pace | Senior Staff Photographer
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Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety installed license plate readers on campus in late August to “keep the campus community safe.” The readers’ company, Flock Safety, has been linked to federal immigration tracking efforts across the country.
Flock Safety, a private company specializing in automated license plate readers, compiles license plate data in a national surveillance network, which federal agencies — including United States Customs and Immigration Enforcement — have gained access to.
An SU spokesperson confirmed to Central Current that the university is using the brand’s cameras.
The company uses this data through contracts with local law enforcement agencies and private businesses. Reporters in several states, including Colorado, Illinois and Virginia, have revealed that federal agencies may be invited by Flock to create accounts, gaining access to local police data.
Flock technology has also been used to track California protesters and abortion seekers in Texas, 404 Media reported.
On Aug. 6, two U.S. Congressmen opened an investigation into the company, explicitly citing the company’s “invasive surveillance practices that threaten the privacy, safety, and civil liberties of women, immigrants, and other vulnerable Americans.”
On Aug. 25, Flock announced it would halt its federal pilot programs due to these concerns.
What we know about SU’s readers
SU plans to mount eight Flock readers, according to Central Current. The readers record passing vehicles, documenting the license plate number, car make and color. The data is stored for 30 days, according to the spokesperson.
The readers were implemented after the Syracuse Common Council unanimously approved of SU’s plan on May 27.
Though the location of readers was not disclosed by the university, city records show two readers, located on Waverly Avenue, between Crouse and Walnut Avenues. Both have been installed and are currently operational, the spokesperson told Central Current.
“Law enforcement agencies do not have automatic access to our data,” the spokesperson said. “Flock has suspended ICE’s access to its system and has also disabled auto-sharing rights to ensure that all clients, including Syracuse University, retain approval rights for any ICE data requests.”
However, the spokesperson acknowledged that ICE and other federal immigration agencies can issue a judicial subpoena to Flock or SU to obtain Syracuse drivers’ data.
In a June blog post, Flock CEO Garrett Langley wrote that cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agencies on immigration tracking is a “local decision,” provided it complies with state law.
Flock Safety’s response
On Aug. 25, Flock released a blog post addressing privacy concerns and announced that it will pause all federal pilot programs.
“We clearly communicated poorly,” Langley said in the statement. “We also didn’t create distinct permissions and protocols in the Flock system to ensure local compliance for federal agency users.”
Langley said Flock has engaged in “limited pilots” with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, to assist in human trafficking and fentanyl distribution investigations.
Flock did not have a contract with any U.S. Department of Homeland Security agencies, according to the statement.
Data sharing in the Syracuse Police Department
SU inherited Flock ALPRs after the Syracuse Police Department initiated a similar pilot program in July 2024.
Since then, police around the country have searched Syracuse’s Flock database nearly 4.4 million times, Central Current reported. Almost 6,000 other law enforcement agencies may have access to the department’s data, some of which share that data with ICE.
Kieran Coffey, an SPD spokesperson, said in July that SPD’s contract with Flock “explicitly stated” data would not be shared outside of the local department. She said SPD “opted into sharing inadvertently.”
In June, Flock spokesman Josh Thomas declined to confirm whether SPD agreed to share its data with other law enforcement agencies, Central Current reported.
Coffey said other municipalities conducted 2,097 immigration-related searches that returned data on Syracuse drivers.
Experts on the city of Syracuse’s Surveillance Technology Working Group had warned the department that data could infringe on privacy rights.
Since then, SPD officials requested that Flock stop sharing data outside New York state. Flock has since removed the national data-sharing features; however, it’s unclear if data is still being intentionally shared with federal agencies.
