Ann Arbor Police Reject Flock Safety Camera Systems

The city police department does not use license plate readers, though University of Michigan police own 15 unactivated units.

Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Bold flat-color editorial illustration depicting a solitary sensor on a metal pole, evoking themes of surveillance policy and privacy. — The Ann Arbor Police Department has confirmed it does not use Flock Safety camera systems, remaining separate from the broader surveillance network. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you trust local police departments to use AI-powered surveillance cameras in your community?

The Ann Arbor Police Department has confirmed it does not utilize Flock Safety camera systems or participate in the company's license plate data-sharing network. While the University of Michigan Police Department currently possesses 15 Flock cameras, they have not yet installed or activated the hardware.

Why it matters

The presence of surveillance technology often sparks community debate regarding privacy and law enforcement transparency. By clarifying its stance, the Ann Arbor Police Department distinguishes its operational policy from other jurisdictions that have integrated these AI-powered tools.

The Ann Arbor Police Department maintains no active contracts with Flock Safety, while the University of Michigan Police Department holds 15 uninstalled Falcon Flex units. Nationwide, Flock cameras have faced vandalism in 36 states.

The players

Ann Arbor Police Department

This is the primary local law enforcement agency responsible for public safety operations within the city of Ann Arbor.

University of Michigan Police Department

This department provides law enforcement services for the university campus and surrounding areas in Ann Arbor.

Flock Safety

This company provides automated license plate recognition technology and data-sharing networks to law enforcement agencies.

The details

Flock Safety cameras utilize AI algorithms to capture and catalog vehicle license plates, models, and colors, which are then uploaded to a national database. Although local police do not use these tools, University of Michigan police officers retain access to search data shared by other law enforcement agencies across the country.

Flock Safety was founded in 2017.
Over a recent 10-month period, 50 law enforcement agencies searched Flock data for protest-related activity.
This report was published on October 26, 2026.

Legal Context

The use of AI-driven license plate recognition follows the nationwide trend of law enforcement agencies searching Flock Safety databases for protest-related activity. This story marks a departure from that pattern as the Ann Arbor Police Department remains an outlier by rejecting the technology.

Residents of Ann Arbor will not be subject to monitoring by city-operated Flock Safety systems, maintaining current privacy levels regarding vehicle tracking. The status of the 15 units held by the University of Michigan Police Department remains a point of interest for campus safety observers.

The takeaway

Public debates over surveillance often hinge on the specific types of data collection tools used by different agencies in the same city. Understanding which departments use AI-based tracking can help residents better navigate their rights regarding privacy and law enforcement interactions.