Utah Governor Calls for Review of Flock Cameras but Not Their Cancellation

By Jacob Rueda

Utah’s use of Flock Safety cameras will undergo review by order of Governor Spencer Cox. During an Aug. 20 press conference hosted by PBS Utah, Cox said he was “deeply troubled” by the number of search requests for information from out-of-state agencies. He also acknowledged that there were privacy concerns, as well as improper use of cameras by police officers, and that people should be “deeply concerned.”

The state’s use of Flock cameras goes back to 2021, when the first such camera was installed in Ogden. Data from Transparency Utah shows Ogden is the second-largest spender of Flock cameras at $133,314.92 in 2026 following Cedar City at $181,450.

Cox said during the press conference that Utah had “guardrails” in place to protect the privacy of residents. In 2025, the legislature passed the Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) System Act (Utah Code §41‑6a‑2001). The act limits the ability of law enforcement to collect information from license plates.

According to the legislation, law enforcement’s use of ALPR data was limited to active criminal investigations, serving outstanding warrants, finding missing or endangered persons, and finding stolen vehicles. No other use was recognized or authorized in the legislation. Registration, vehicle identification number, insurance, and status of a vehicle as stolen were available for state law enforcement agencies to access.

The concern from Cox is that the legislation does not prevent out-of-state agencies from also accessing ALPR data. There is also no oversight into whether the legislation was being enforced. The governor then called for a review of camera data.

“We have a Utah Privacy Board, a Statewide Board, and a Privacy Commission,” he said, “And I've asked them to do a review of all of our rules and regulations around these cameras, especially how they're being used with local agencies to make sure that they are not being abused, to make sure that the public understands how and when they can be used, and if there are abuses taking place that people are held accountable.”

Cox emphasized that he would not allow abuses of the system to take place in Utah.

Flock Safety cameras have become widespread in the United States. However, their use has raised concerns not just from community members, but from law enforcement agencies alike. An investigation by TheLine.Info found that as many as 20 cities and police departments across the country have paused or terminated their contracts with Flock Safety.

Local reporting from cities that ended their Flock contracts shows they did so over privacy concerns, public opposition, and cost, among other reasons. The Eugene Police Department in Oregon posted on Facebook in Dec. 2025 their decision to end their contract with Flock.

Flock’s response to the cancellations drew attention from local officials. The company installed two new cameras after the city council in Cambridge, Mass. ordered all cameras within city limits deactivated. A police auditor in Eugene, Ore. found at least one camera was still collecting data after the local police department announced the cancellation of their contract with Flock.

At no time did Cox suggest or imply that Flock cameras would be removed or that departments would re-evaluate their use. None of the reporters at the press conference inquired about the possibility of departments ending their contracts or uninstalling Flock cameras based on concerns or findings from other cities or police departments.