Automated License Plate Reader Frequently Asked Questions

Automated license plate reader technology uses cameras to capture images of vehicle license plates and related vehicle information. The system converts license plate information into searchable data that may assist law enforcement during criminal investigations, public safety incidents, stolen vehicle investigations, missing person cases, and other legitimate law enforcement matters.

The Maricopa Police Department uses Flock Safety ALPR cameras as an investigative tool to help identify vehicles associated with criminal activity or public safety concerns. ALPR technology can assist with stolen vehicles, stolen license plates, wanted persons, missing persons, suspect vehicles, stolen property recovery, crime suppression efforts, and other criminal investigations.

The technology does not determine guilt, authorize an arrest, or replace independent police work. It provides investigative leads that must still be evaluated, verified, and handled consistent with law and department policy.

No. The Maricopa Police Department does not use ALPR technology for general surveillance of the public. The system is used for official and legitimate law enforcement purposes. ALPR information is treated as an investigative lead and does not replace officer judgment, independent investigation, or constitutional policing practices.

There are currently 38 Flock cameras in Maricopa. Thirty-seven cameras are fixed, and one is portable and can be positioned as needed to address specific crime problems or public safety needs.

The cameras are placed strategically on major thoroughfares and arterial roadways to maximize effectiveness and coverage for the city. Camera placement is based on public safety needs, traffic patterns, investigative value, and the ability to support citywide coverage.

There are no cameras located specifically at schools, places of worship, medical facilities, or similar locations. The intent is not to focus on particular neighborhoods, protected activities, or specific private locations.

Camera placement is determined by the Police Department based on public safety and investigative considerations. The goal is to place cameras where they are most likely to assist with identifying vehicles associated with criminal investigations, stolen vehicles, missing persons, wanted persons, stolen license plates, and similar public safety matters.

Neighborhoods, HOAs, businesses, and community members may share concerns or provide information about crime trends or problem areas. However, decisions about the placement of City-funded Flock cameras are made by the Police Department based on operational need.

No. Flock ALPR cameras do not record audio.

No. The cameras are not speed enforcement cameras and are not used to issue civil traffic citations.

No. The cameras are not used for facial recognition. The system is focused on vehicle and license plate information. The cameras do not capture images of people nor do they display identifying information associated with license plate data.

Flock ALPR cameras capture license plate information and vehicle-related images. The system may also assist in identifying visually observable vehicle characteristics such as vehicle type, make, color, license plate state, temporary plates, missing or covered plates, and other distinguishing vehicle features. This is sometimes referred to as vehicle fingerprint technology. This functionality can assist investigators when only a partial plate or general vehicle description is known.

A Flock ALPR camera is designed to capture vehicle related information visible from a public roadway.

• A license plate image
• The license plate number
• The state that issued the plate, if available
• Vehicle characteristics such as make, model, color, and body style
• Date and time
• Camera location
• Related image connected to the vehicle capture

Example of the type of vehicle and license plate image captured by a Maricopa Police Department ALPR camera.

Maricopa PD Flock ALPR cameras do not:

• Use facial recognition
• Identify people by their faces
• Collect biometric information
• Track a person’s phone
• Track a vehicle by GPS in real time
• Issue citations
• Monitor immigration status
• Monitor people because of political, religious, or other protected activity

The system is a vehicle identification tool.  It is not a people identification tool.

Data captured through Flock ALPR technology is retained for 30 days, unless the data is preserved as evidence or otherwise retained in accordance with applicable law, department policy, or a lawful records obligation.

Access to MPD’s ALPR data is controlled by the Maricopa Police Department. Flock does not independently share or sell the City’s ALPR data.

No. The Maricopa Police Department does not share Flock ALPR data with federal agencies.

MPD is permitted to determine which agencies may access or receive shared ALPR data. Currently, MPD shares Flock ALPR data only with other state, county, and local law enforcement agencies within the State of Arizona. MPD does not share Flock ALPR data with federal agencies.

Sharing with other Arizona law enforcement agencies provides important public safety value because criminal activity, stolen vehicles, wanted persons, missing persons, and suspect vehicles frequently cross jurisdictional boundaries. Vehicles connected to crimes in Maricopa may quickly travel into another city, county area, or state jurisdictions, and vehicles connected to crimes elsewhere may enter Maricopa. Allowing vetted Arizona law enforcement agencies to access shared ALPR data can help identify suspects, recover stolen vehicles, locate missing or endangered persons, and develop investigative leads more quickly.

Access is limited to authorized users. MPD personnel may not operate ALPR equipment or access ALPR data without first completing department-approved training. Authorized users must access the system through individual user accounts.

Yes. Searches and access to ALPR data are subject to accountability safeguards. The system requires login credentials, and access is capable of being documented by user, date, and time. Flock also maintains audit and query records associated with system activity.

This means system access is not anonymous. Authorized user activity can be reviewed to evaluate whether the system was accessed appropriately and for a legitimate law enforcement or public safety purpose.

The Maricopa Police Department does not currently receive a separate recurring report that is automatically distributed to the City showing every Flock search, the stated reason for each search, and the outcome of each query. However, the system maintains audit and query records that can be reviewed by authorized personnel to determine who accessed the system and when.

In practice, this means the Department has the ability to review system access and query activity when needed for supervisory review, complaint review, audit purposes, or to evaluate whether the system is being used consistent with policy.

MPD’s ALPR policy limits use to official and legitimate law enforcement purposes. Access is restricted to authorized personnel, users must complete department-approved training, and system access is documented. ALPR data may be accessed only for legitimate law enforcement purposes, such as a specific criminal investigation, public safety matter, or department-related civil or administrative action.

Misuse of the system would be treated as a serious policy violation and could result in loss of access, internal review, discipline, or other action depending on the facts and circumstances.

To date, MPD has not received any misuse complaints involving the ALPR system. If a member of the public or other concerned party believes ALPR technology has been misused, the resident may use the Police Department’s established complaint process. Any complaint involving suspected misuse would be reviewed through the appropriate supervisory or internal review process.

ALPR information is treated as an investigative lead. Department policy provides that, when practicable, officers should verify an ALPR response through the Arizona Criminal Justice Information System before taking enforcement action based solely on an ALPR alert.

This is an important safeguard because ALPR technology does not replace independent verification, officer judgment, or constitutional policing standards.

No. The system is not to be used to monitor lawful activities protected by the First Amendment, such as religious attendance, political events, protests, advocacy meetings, or other lawful activities. Any use of ALPR technology must be tied to an official and legitimate law enforcement purpose.

The system may provide real-time alerts and may also be used after a crime has occurred as part of an investigation. For example, ALPR technology can assist officers and detectives when a vehicle associated with a stolen vehicle, stolen license plate, missing person, wanted person, or other criminal investigation passes a camera. It can also assist investigators after an incident by helping determine whether a vehicle connected to a case was in a particular area during a relevant time frame.

No. ALPR data is an investigative lead. Arrests and prosecutions are based on the totality of evidence gathered during an investigation, not solely on ALPR information.

The Police Department evaluates the effectiveness of the Flock system primarily through its operational and investigative value to public safety. The department has utilized the system as one investigative tool among many to assist in criminal investigations and public safety incidents. This has included helping identify suspect vehicles, locating stolen vehicles, assisting in missing person investigations, and developing investigative leads in serious incidents such as aggravated assaults and drive-by shootings.

The Maricopa Police Department does not routinely receive formal reports specifically tracking overall system usage statistics, arrests, recoveries, or prosecutions associated solely with the Flock ALPR system. However, the system maintains audit and query records that may be reviewed in accordance with department policy to ensure the system is being accessed appropriately and for legitimate law enforcement purposes.

As with many law enforcement technologies, arrests and prosecutions are typically based on the totality of evidence gathered during an investigation and not solely on information obtained through ALPR technology.

When the Flock Safety cameras program began in 2021 the program was funded through a mix of RICO (Racketeering, Influence, and Corrupt Organizations) funds and general fund dollars. Currently the program is paid for with general fund dollars through the City of Maricopa/Maricopa Police Department’s agreement with Flock Safety. Based on the  contracts, this is structured as an annual subscription/service agreement rather than a traditional purchase of individual cameras that the City owns outright.

Funding for Flock was accomplished through the City’s budget process, which is reviewed and approved by City Council. During that process, the full Council had access to, reviewed, and approved the budgets for respective City departments, including the Police Department.

Direct City control and retention of all ALPR data would be very difficult, arduous, and cost prohibitive for a city of Maricopa’s size. A city-operated ALPR data environment would require far more than simply storing camera images on a local server. It would require secure data infrastructure, cybersecurity controls, encryption, role-based access management, audit logging, system maintenance, data-retention automation, evidence preservation workflows, public records review processes, legal compliance review, and ongoing technical support.

In practical terms, directly managing the data would likely require additional personnel, specialized training, and possibly a dedicated internal function or department to oversee compliance, retention, access control, auditing, cybersecurity, public records processing, and lawful disclosure. The City would also need to ensure that any locally managed system met applicable criminal justice information standards and that staff were trained to manage sensitive law enforcement data appropriately. Without that level of staffing and technical support, the City would assume significant operational, legal, cybersecurity, and public records risk.

For that reason, using a specialized platform allows the Police Department to access the investigative benefits of the technology while relying on a system designed to support secure access, retention limits, auditability, and administrative controls.

Yes. The Police Department has a written ALPR policy(PDF, 222KB) governing use of the technology. The policy is available on the Police Department website.

Requests for specific ALPR data are reviewed and processed in accordance with applicable law because the records may involve sensitive law enforcement information, criminal justice information, or active investigations. 

Public records may be requested through the City of Maricopa’s public records request process. Requests may be made via the Internet using the following link.

Members of the public who believe ALPR technology has been misused may utilize the Police Department’s established complaint process. Complaints will be reviewed through the appropriate supervisory, administrative, or internal review process based on the facts and circumstances. Complaints regarding Police Department personnel may be made via the internet using the following link.

MPD’s ALPR policy is reviewed and updated as needed. If state or federal law changes, if case law creates a need for revision, or if operational experience identifies a necessary improvement, the Department will review the policy and update procedures accordingly. As with other law enforcement policies, that process may involve Police Department command staff, City leadership, legal review, and other appropriate stakeholders depending on the nature of the change.

Members of the public who have additional questions may contact the Maricopa Police Department or submit a public records request through the City of Maricopa.