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World desk7 min

Alternatives to Flock Cameras: Options for Local Public-Safety Programs

Cities considering an alternative to Flock can choose another ALPR provider, build around existing systems, adopt an open-architecture design, or pause ALPR use. The key comparison is governance as well as technology.
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Local public-safety programs can replace Flock with another ALPR provider, build an ALPR system around existing or separately procured technology, or pause the program instead of switching vendors. Documented alternatives include Axon, Genetec AutoVu, Motorola Vigilant Solutions, and Rekor. The choice that matters most is not just the camera or vendor: it is also who controls the data, who can search or share it, how long it is kept, and how use is audited.

What can a city choose instead of Flock?

Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) capture vehicle images and plate information so authorized users can search for vehicles of interest. A local government evaluating Flock has several distinct options; only some involve choosing another vendor.

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  • Switch to another integrated provider. Axon, Genetec AutoVu, Motorola Vigilant Solutions, and Rekor are named in public-sector sources as alternatives or ALPR providers.
  • Use an existing system or a mixed-vendor design. A locality may connect ALPR capability to existing video, parking-enforcement, dispatch, or evidence systems, or procure components separately.
  • Pause or end ALPR use. A city can decide that it needs more information or that other methods better fit its public-safety goals.

A change of provider does not by itself change whether ALPR is used or what safeguards apply. A procurement decision should address the full system: cameras, software, hosting, integrations, user permissions, data sharing, retention, audits, and contract exit.

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How the documented alternatives differ

The evidence below establishes that these providers and approaches are in use or under consideration; it does not establish a common performance ranking. Berkeley’s Police Accountability Board described a competitive, technically diverse market in its May 4, 2026 provider-landscape memo. Its discussion of architecture reflects that memo’s analysis, not a guarantee about every implementation.

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Option What the cited public-sector sources establish What a locality should verify
Axon Durango, Colorado, announced on September 1, 2026 that it planned to transition its ALPR program from Flock to Axon in 2027. Berkeley lists Axon among alternatives. In the Virginia State Crime Commission’s 2026 report on its 2025 survey, 35 responding agencies reported Axon contracts or subscriptions. Exact camera and software configuration; integration with dispatch, video, or evidence tools; sharing defaults; data and audit controls in the proposed contract.
Genetec AutoVu / Security Center Berkeley lists Genetec AutoVu and reports that a California integrator described AutoVu as manufacturer-agnostic. Renton, Washington, says it uses Genetec ALPR in parking-enforcement vehicles. Which cameras and recognition components the bid supports; compatibility with existing systems; who is responsible for supporting the integrated deployment.
Motorola Vigilant Solutions Berkeley names the provider. In Virginia’s 2025 survey, 12 responding agencies reported Motorola contracts or subscriptions. Local contract terms, data-sharing networks, retention settings, user-level audit capability, and controls over outside-agency access.
Rekor Berkeley names Rekor and says its open API architecture can integrate with existing video management and computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems. Whether the proposed integration supports the locality’s specific systems, is included in the price, has been tested, and is contractually supported.
Open-architecture system Berkeley’s memo describes the potential to replace, audit, or terminate individual components without replacing an entire platform. Whether local staff and integrators can operate multiple components, and who is accountable when data passes between providers.
Pause or end the program Renton reported that its council voted on May 4, 2026 to pause all ALPR technology while seeking additional information. What need the program was intended to meet, whether non-ALPR methods can meet it, and what public review would precede a restart.

Durango’s transition is an example of changing providers while keeping an ALPR program, not evidence that every locality should make the same choice. Police Chief Brice Current said the move was not about Flock “failing,” but about evolving the program as technology, safeguards, and expectations change. The city described Axon as meeting its standards while balancing safety and privacy; its announcement does not provide independent comparative test results establishing that Axon performs better.

What the available adoption figures do—and do not—show

The Virginia State Crime Commission’s 2026 report analyzed its 2025 survey of agencies in Virginia. It found 159 agencies reporting ALPR use. Of those, 137 (86%) reported Flock as a vendor, 35 reported Axon contracts or subscriptions, and 12 reported Motorola contracts or subscriptions. Agencies could report more than one vendor, so these counts are not mutually exclusive and are not national market shares.

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The same Virginia survey found that 112 of 159 ALPR-using agencies (70%) reported having an ALPR policy; 16% reported no policy and 9% said they were implementing one. Those figures describe the surveyed Virginia agencies, not a national policy rate. Berkeley’s memo also references a June 2025 U.S. Department of Homeland Security market survey that evaluated 16 commercially available ALPR systems; that count describes the survey’s scope, not adoption or product quality.

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Compare governance and total operating needs, not just vendor names

Durango said it considered investigative effectiveness, integration, privacy safeguards, data governance, auditing, sharing, accountability, administrative efficiency, cost, and long-term operations. Those are useful procurement dimensions because two proposals with similar camera functions can differ substantially in who controls the system and how it is governed.

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  1. Define the use case. Identify the public-safety need the system is meant to address and how the locality will determine whether ALPR contributes to it. Consider whether a different tool could serve the same need.
  2. Specify ownership and permitted use. State who owns raw images, plate reads, derived data, and audit logs. Ask whether the provider can use data for its own purposes or disclose it onward, and how prohibited uses are prevented.
  3. Map every access and sharing path. Identify which employees and outside agencies can search the system. Determine whether access can be disabled for particular agencies or across jurisdictions, and whether policy restrictions are enforced technically as well as in writing.
  4. Set retention and deletion rules. Specify what data is retained, where it is stored, how long it remains, and how deletion is verified—including for backups and exported copies.
  5. Make searches auditable. Require individually attributable query logs, with case numbers and reasons where appropriate. Define how often audits occur, who reviews them, and whether partner-agency access is visible to the auditor.
  6. Identify governing rules and exceptions. Determine which state laws, local ordinances, written policies, or other applicable rules constrain collection, use, and disclosure. Name who can approve an exception and how it is recorded.
  7. Plan for replacement and contract end. Ask whether the locality can replace cameras, software, hosting, or an integrator separately. Specify usable data-export formats, transition assistance, deletion confirmation, and any exit costs.
  8. Calculate full lifecycle cost and operational burden. Include staffing, training, maintenance, connectivity, integration, support, upgrades, and renewal terms—not only the headline subscription or equipment price.
  9. Provide meaningful public oversight. Establish what the locality will publish, such as the proposed policy, system description, contract terms where disclosure is permissible, audit summaries, and a process for community review.

Berkeley’s memo highlights a trade-off in system architecture: a proprietary platform can concentrate control of data, upgrades, permissions, and vendor relationships, while an open design can allow components to be replaced or terminated independently. Open architecture may offer flexibility, but it also means the locality must manage integration and assign responsibility across components. Neither approach removes the need for enforceable policy, capable administration, and clear accountability.

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Local examples show why policy and configuration matter

Durango: provider transition without ending ALPR

Durango said it would not renew its Flock agreement in 2027 and planned to transition its program to Axon. The city described its standards as local control of data, strong privacy protections, meaningful audits and accountability, controlled and transparent sharing, broader technology integration, and continued community trust. This is a documented local decision and rationale, not a comparative performance test.

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Fridley: controls implemented in system use

In a 2026 statement, Fridley, Minnesota, said it disabled immigration-related searches, restricted sharing to Minnesota law-enforcement agencies, and disabled network access for agencies with 287(g) agreements. It also described individual query logs, required case numbers and reasons, and regular audits. Fridley said it was still reviewing contract terms concerning unilateral modification rights and data control. These are Fridley’s reported actions and ongoing review, not universal vendor features or a statement of legal duties for other cities.

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Renton: pause rather than replacement

Renton reported that its council voted to pause all ALPR technology on May 4, 2026 while seeking more information. The city also says it uses Genetec ALPR in parking-enforcement vehicles. This illustrates that a locality can assess or pause ALPR use rather than treat a vendor change as the only alternative.

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What a fair comparison cannot establish yet

The cited material does not provide current, apples-to-apples prices or independent performance tests for all named providers. Vendor capabilities and configurations can change, so a locality should assess the proposal and contract it would actually sign—including integrations, hosting, retention controls, audit tools, and sharing defaults. State and local rules also vary; Virginia survey findings and the policies described by Fridley, Renton, and Durango should not be generalized as requirements elsewhere.

For a procurement decision, request comparable written proposals against the same requirements, review the governing law and existing contract, and involve the officials responsible for privacy, records, IT, procurement, public safety, and public oversight. A vendor name alone cannot answer whether a proposed deployment fits local policy or community expectations.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

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