United States, Washington, D.C.
Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.)
Flock Safety licence plate readers, supplied by Flock Safety
OperationalJournalismPAI-21A88710
- Body
- Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.)
- Country
- United States
- Area
- Washington, D.C.
- Technology
- Flock Safety licence plate readers
- Supplier
- Flock Safety
- Status
- Operational
In routine use by the named body, on the evidence of a public source. - Stage
- In use now
- Since
- 2025
- Legal basis
- Not stated in the source
- Oversight
- MPD Internal Affairs investigation and internal audit of licence plate reader use (as reported September 2026); questions from Councillor Brooke Pinto
- Evidence
- Journalism
Named reporting by a reputable outlet - Source
- FOX 5 DC, 21 September 2026
- Last checked
- Record code
PAI-21A88710
Notes
FOX 5 DC reported on 21 September 2026 that the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) uses Flock licence plate reader cameras, deployed in the District in 2025 according to Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll. In a letter answering questions from Councillor Brooke Pinto, Carroll said the system does not automatically flag misuse but does flag activity for further review, such as a user running a plate several times or for longer than 30 days. MPD's policy, updated in April 2026, allows plate searches only with a legal basis or reasonable suspicion of involvement in a crime. MPD's Internal Affairs division is investigating two potential cases of misuse, one flagged by Flock's auditing tool; MPD ended outside-agency access to its licence plate reader data and began an internal audit, with results expected later in 2026. The DC Police Union has filed a grievance over the use of licence plate readers in an Internal Affairs investigation of a union member; MPD says that use was appropriate. The source does not give the number of cameras. This is a separate record from the existing MPD facial recognition record.
Other systems used by Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.)
| Deployment | Country | Supplier | Since | Status | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.)Retrospective Facial Recognition | United StatesWashington, D.C. | Clearview AI | 2026 | Operational |
Flock Safety licence plate readers elsewhere in United States
See them in the tracker| Deployment | Country | Supplier | Since | Status | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000+ US law enforcement agenciesFlock Safety ALPR | United States | Flock Safety | 2018 | Operational | |
| Mountain View Police DepartmentFlock Safety ALPR | United StatesCalifornia | Flock Safety | 2024 | Discontinued | |
| Asheville Police DepartmentFlock Safety ALPR | United StatesNorth Carolina | Flock Safety | — | Discontinued | |
| Lynchburg Police DepartmentFlock Safety ALPR | United StatesVirginia | Flock Safety | — | Discontinued | |
| Sheboygan Police DepartmentFlock Safety ALPR | United StatesWisconsin | Flock Safety | — | Discontinued | |
| Excelsior Springs Police DepartmentFlock Safety ALPR | United StatesMissouri | Flock Safety | — | Discontinued | |
| Harrisonburg Police DepartmentFlock Safety ALPR | United StatesVirginia | Flock Safety | 2023 | Discontinued | |
| US Customs and Border ProtectionAccess to Flock Safety licence plate reader cameras (pilot) | United StatesNationwide | Flock Safety | 2025 | Discontinued | |
| Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesAccess to Flock licence plate readers run by HIDTA partners | United StatesNationwide | Flock Safety | — | Operational | |
| Fairfax County Police DepartmentFlock Safety licence plate readers | United StatesFairfax County, Virginia | Flock Safety | 2022 | Operational | |
| Richmond Police Department (Virginia)Flock Safety licence plate readers | United StatesRichmond, Virginia | Flock Safety | 2024 | Operational | |
| Henrico County Division of PoliceFlock Safety licence plate readers | United StatesHenrico County, Virginia | Flock Safety | — | Discontinued |