A statewide poll in Arizona found that a majority of voters oppose the use of automated license-plate reading (ALPR) cameras such as Flock Safety by police and favor limiting or eliminating the technology.

NextGen, a political consulting firm, conducted the statewide poll of 1,627 voters across the political spectrum from Aug. 17 to Aug. 19. The survey has a 2.6 percent margin of error.

The poll found that while 36 percent and 44 percent of respondents were very familiar or somewhat familiar with the surveillance camera technology, respectively, 13.3 percent were not familiar with it.

About 7 percent said they had never heard of it.

Nearly 63 percent of those who responded said they opposed the use of license-plate reading cameras by police, while 30 percent supported their use.

Voters were nearly split when asked if the cameras help police solve crimes, with 51 percent saying they do, compared with 49 percent who said they do not.

Eighty-two percent of voters said they were concerned about the potential misuse of data by law enforcement. Just over 16 percent did not have concerns, the poll numbers show.

The poll also found that 82 percent of respondents support conducting audits of how agencies use camera data, while 7 percent oppose them.

Fifty-one percent said they opposed sharing data with immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE, while 35.7 percent supported such action.

Regarding the future expansion of ALPR technology, 30 percent said they support increasing its use. The vast majority, 60 percent, said they favored limiting its use or eliminating it.

An estimated 60 police departments and law enforcement agencies in Arizona currently use ALPR systems, according to media reports.

Atlas of Surveillance, a collaboration between the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the University of Nevada’s Reno Reynolds School of Journalism, maintains a database of law enforcement departments currently using cameras and other technology, such as body-worn cameras and drones.

“The aim is to generate a resource for journalists, academics, and, most importantly, members of the public to check what’s been purchased locally and how technologies are spreading across the country,” the organization said on its website.

The Peoria Police Department in Arizona, for example, maintains 114 Flock Safety automated license plate readers, compared with 99 used by the Prescott Valley Police Department, according to Atlas of Surveillance’s July 2025 data.

The Epoch Times reached out to Flock Safety, as well as the Arizona Republican and Democratic parties, for comment on the polling results.

Proponents of surveillance cameras such as Flock Safety point to their effective use in helping to solve and prevent crime; opponents argue against their potential for misuse by government and law enforcement.

Police in Bakersfield, California, say they have been using Flock Safety license plate reader cameras since 2021.

In a July 23 social media post, the department described the cameras as an important tool in criminal investigations and maintaining public safety.

“But there is some misinformation about how they work,” the department added, citing no facial recognition capability or use in traffic ticketing or red-light citations.

The cameras are used to monitor public streets and intersections, not private homes and backyards. Data is automatically deleted after 30 days unless it’s lawfully archived for an active investigation, the agency added.

“Since implementing this technology, it has helped recover stolen vehicles, locate missing people, make arrests, and generate investigative leads,” the department noted.

On its website, Flock says its cameras have helped locate 10,000 missing persons since 2025, while 42 percent of its customers recovered more than half of the vehicles stolen in their jurisdictions.

On Aug. 12, the city of Surprise, Arizona, announced it had suspended the use of Flock Safety ALPR cameras after an audit discovered an “anomaly” in the use of the system.

The city launched an investigation into a potential violation of its ALPR policy, and a Surprise police officer has been placed on administrative leave until the investigation can be completed.

“Public trust is of the highest importance to the Surprise Police Department and maintaining that trust requires transparency and accountability,” Surprise Police Chief Evan Becher said in a statement.

“While we still need to complete an investigation into this irregularity, we are taking this incident very seriously. That is why we took immediate action to halt the program, investigate the issue and make the community aware of it.”

Surprise began using ALPR technology over two years ago, and there are currently 28 cameras operating in the city of 143,148 residents.

The technology has been used to help solve many local crimes, including homicides, robberies and carjackings.

“This technology has proven to be extremely valuable in solving serious crimes. As we look to continue the use of this public safety tool, we want strong safeguards in place that not only alert of misuse but also prevent it,” Becher said.