Flock Safety Technology

Lynnwood Police Department Temporarily Pauses Flock Camera System

The Lynnwood Police Department has temporarily paused its Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) program, also known as the Flock Camera System, to improve privacy protections and maintain community trust.

What’s Happening:
While the system has been effective in helping officers locate stolen vehicles, identify suspects, and recover missing persons, LPD has decided to pause operations to review vendor settings, policies, and privacy controls. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution—not due to misuse.

All system access is currently disabled, and the cameras are turned off.

Program Background:

Flock cameras provide officers with real-time information to identify and locate vehicles involved in crimes within our community.
Funded through a grant from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WATPA).
Went live on June 29, 2025, with 25 cameras deployed throughout the city.
On July 1, 2025, LPD discovered that a vendor feature had created broader data access than intended and promptly disabled it.
The program was formally paused on October 30, 2025, for further evaluation.

Why This Matters:
LPD believes technology can be a powerful tool to enhance community safety—but only when used responsibly. This review ensures that the system continues to serve public safety without compromising individual privacy or transparency.

Results So Far:

Averaging 66 alerts per month for stolen vehicles or license plates, the equivalent of nearly 800 alerts per year.
Assisting in the recovery of multiple stolen vehicles and the arrest of suspects involved in child sexual assault, narcotics investigations, theft, and identity crimes.
Locating a missing elderly male, helping ensure his safe return home.
Providing critical leads to regional law enforcement partners in ongoing criminal investigations.

Next Steps:
The Department will continue to work closely with City Administration, the City Council, and community stakeholders before deciding on reinstatement. Updated policies, strengthened agreements, and enhanced transparency measures will guide the program moving forward.

We Want Your Input:

Your feedback matters.

Please send your comments or questions to: crimeprevention_flocksafety@lynnwoodwa.gov

What is Flock Safety?

The Lynnwood Police Department is partnering with Flock Safety to install 25 license plate reader cameras strategically placed around the city. This technology will enhance our officers' ability to address crime and life safety concerns. The cameras send a real-time alert to law enforcement when a stolen car or a known wanted suspect from a state or national crime database is detected. They also send alerts if a vehicle associated with a missing person in an AMBER or Silver Alert is detected.

Flock Safety LPRs capture license plates and vehicle characteristics; they are not equipped with facial recognition capabilities. LPRs send alerts to law enforcement when they detect a vehicle that has been reported stolen, associated with a crime, or listed in an AMBER, Silver, Missing, or Endangered Persons Alert. This vehicle information is compared to state and national databases. By combining rapid response with efficient, accurate information acquisition, the Lynnwood Police Department will be better equipped to address public safety concerns.

Privacy Concerns

The Lynnwood Police Department is committed to transparency and accountability. Therefore, the Department will provide usage statistics to the public through a transparency portal, ensuring community members can be confident that the technology is being used responsibly.

The Flock System cameras would be used to solve and reduce property and violent crime. Data would only be used for criminal investigations and public safety concerns. These cameras will not be used for traffic infractions, immigration enforcement, or monitoring First Amendment-protected expressive activity. They do not have facial recognition, nor do they collect biometric or sensitive information. Deployed cameras will not capture information from inside community members' homes or other protected areas where law enforcement would otherwise not be permitted.

All data would be stored securely with end-to-end encryption. Each search requires justification; the data is never sold or shared with third parties outside law enforcement. Unless it pertains to a criminal investigation, all data automatically deletes after 30 days.

The Lynnwood Police Department will consistently evaluate the effectiveness of the Flock Safety program to ensure it continues to assist law enforcement in addressing violent crime and public safety concerns. The assessments will be shared with the public on a rotating basis.

You can view our transparency portal here: Flock Safety - Lynnwood (WA) Police Department Transparency Portal

Funding

The Lynnwood Police Department secured $132,720.00 in grant funding from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WAPTA). An additional $38,433.50 was spent using existing money from the police department budget. No additional request to the City Council has been made by the police department to fund this project.

Regional Success

Everett PD

Everett PD officers were dispatched to a report of shots fired at an apartment complex in the area of W. Casino Rd. When officers arrived, they located two victims, one who was deceased and the other with non-life threatening injuries. Witnesses identified the suspect and his vehicle and informed officers that he drove away from the scene. At about 1:40 p.m., officers had located the suspect vehicle and began a pursuit that ended with the suspect crashing on I-5 near milepost 190.

Spokane County Sherriff's Office:

From January 2023 to May 2024, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office’s RTCC has aided in the recovery of 88 stolen vehicles, 23 stolen license plates, and 9 missing persons. Evidence gathered by the RTCC has also helped officers arrest 150 suspects.

Yakima Police Department:

Since their installation in 2022, Flock Safety LPRs have been instrumental in 688 investigations to date. Officers have utilized the LPRs in:392 stolen vehicle recovery cases, 11 homicide cases, 78 hit-and-run cases, 56 assault cases, 52 eluding cases, 24 robbery cases, and 17 fraud cases.

Learn More

Lynnwood Police Automated License Plate Policy

Contact

crimeprevention_flocksafety@lynnwoodwa.gov