Supervisors consider county response to Flock persistent surveillance after national lawsuits
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Summary
Board members described concerns about private persistent surveillance systems (Flock) and discussed drafting a resolution to restrict or ban such cameras in unincorporated Cochise County unless the vendor limits data use to law enforcement purposes; staff and the sheriff's office will meet with Flock representatives.
The board raised privacy and legal concerns about private license‑plate and vehicle tracking networks operated by vendors such as Flock and discussed possible county action to restrict their use in unincorporated areas.
Chair described lawsuits in other jurisdictions and said the vendor's contract will not be amended to limit data uses, which he said has enabled non‑law‑enforcement uses of aggregated vehicle data. "They're collecting it from the citizens ... and selling it," the chair said, and suggested the county consider a resolution to ban Flock unless the company limits data use to law enforcement and agrees to contract amendments.
County staff confirmed the sheriff's office has requested a separate meeting to examine Flock camera operations and legal issues. Supervisors discussed options such as refusing intergovernmental assistance (IGAs) tied to Flock, declining to assist municipalities that adopt Flock, and coordinating any municipal decisions with county policy, but no final policy was adopted at the preview session.
Board members asked staff to return with legal analysis and said they would consider a resolution that limits county cooperation with Flock deployments unless the company changes terms. The sheriff's office will meet with board staff to discuss technical and legal impacts before any formal action.
