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License-plate readers · Oakland County

Oakland County

Using license-plate readers · 9 agencies documented

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Oakland County Sheriff's Office

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
No camera count found in any opened source. Sheriff's office polices contract communities (e.g., Commerce and Independence townships) where Flock cameras are tied to township agreements.
Contract
Flock Safety: · from Jan. 2026 · approved by Commerce Township Board (2025-11-04) · Township board approved putting the Flock camera system, run through the sheriff's office, in its 2026 budget and opening contract talks; a trustee asked that billing not begin before January 2026. No dollar figure in the minutes; final contract not seen. (Charter Township of Commerce, Nov. 4, 2025)
  1. Nov. 4, 2025 Commerce Township Board heard a sheriff's office and Flock presentation and approved the Flock camera system for its 2026 budget and moving to contract negotiations; minutes record Trustee Long as the lone no vote. Sheriff's staff told the board data is deleted after 30 days, the township owns the data, and FOIA requests go through Oakland County. (Charter Township of Commerce, Nov. 4, 2025)
  2. April 30, 2026 At a Board of Commissioners meeting, residents objected to the board's approval of a Flock contract; public comment was halted and the chair called a recess. WDET does not say whether a vote took place at that meeting or give a tally. (WDET 101.9 FM, May 1, 2026)
  3. Sept. 17, 2026 At a Board of Commissioners meeting on the FY 2027 Auto Theft Prevention Grant, the sheriff's chief technology officer, Capt. Steve Schneider, defended the Flock system, saying the county runs its own secured, encrypted instance. (WXYZ 7 News Detroit, Oct. 4, 2026)
  4. Oct. 2026 Residents spoke against county Flock use at the Board of Commissioners' Public Safety and Health Committee; a county spokesperson did not immediately say whether Flock use would be paused. (WDIV ClickOnDetroit, Oct. 6, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • WDET's April 30, 2026 item calls it a 'Flock contract'; it is not clear from the article whether this was the sheriff's drone pilot, plate readers or another agreement.
  • Status rests on Commerce Township's November 2025 approval of a sheriff-run Flock system, the sheriff's office's September 2026 defense of its Flock system before commissioners, and October 2026 reporting on the county's Flock system; no contract document or camera count was opened.
  • The October committee meeting is given as 'Tuesday' in an Oct. 6, 2026 WDIV story (most likely Oct. 6).

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Independence Township (Oakland County; policed by Oakland County Sheriff's Office)

Status
Ended or removed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
8
Eight Flock cameras installed in the township, per WDIV and FOX 2 (Sept. 2026).
  1. Sept. 8, 2026 Township trustees ended the Flock agreement and ordered all eight cameras taken down. The board told staff to pay what was owed through September, cancel the contract, try to recover unused credits and get Flock to delete the township's data. No vote count was reported. Supervisor Chuck Phyle II tied the decision to residents' concerns. (WDIV ClickOnDetroit, Sept. 14, 2026; FOX 2 Detroit, Sept. 14, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Program began in 2024 per the township.
  • Neither article says which agency operated the cameras; the township's police services come from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
  • Physical removal not confirmed in opened sources.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Troy Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
25
23 fixed plus 2 mobile Flock cameras approved in March 2023 (C&G Newspapers). No later count found.
Contract
Flock Safety: $140,050 total (2 years) · from July 1, 2023 · approved by Troy City Council (2023-03-13, unanimous) · Bid waived; awarded to Insight Public Sector (Flock sales agent) via OMNIA cooperative contract. Year 1 $74,050.00, Year 2 $66,000.00; leased cameras; Flock agreement renews automatically unless either side gives 30 days' notice. Start date is the memo's estimate. (City of Troy, March 8, 2023; C&G Newspapers, March 22, 2023)
  1. March 13, 2023 City Council unanimously approved Flock license-plate cameras for the police department at roughly $2,500 per camera per year. (C&G Newspapers, March 22, 2023)

From agency records.

Madison Heights Police Department

Status
Ended or removed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
3
Three city-run ALPR cameras, per WXYZ (Oct. 2026). Some local businesses run separate Flock contracts.
  1. Sept. 23, 2026 City-run Flock cameras were bagged and no new data collected from this date, per the city. (WXYZ 7 News Detroit, Oct. 11, 2026)
  2. Oct. 2026 The city said it would disconnect its plate-reader cameras and not renew its Flock contract, saying after an extended review that it could not continue without "clear and reliable safeguards." (WXYZ 7 News Detroit, Oct. 11, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • No council vote was described; decision announced by the city.
  • Contract dates and cost not reported.
  • The announcement is dated 'Sunday' in an Oct. 11, 2026 WXYZ story (most likely Oct. 11).

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Milford Police Department (Village of Milford)

Status
Ended or removed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
15
Two contracts covering 5 and 10 Flock cameras, per The Detroit News and WXYZ (Oct. 2026).
Contract
Flock Safety: $18,250 year · approved by Milford Village Council · Five-camera, 12-month contract; council voted against renewal in June 2026. (The Detroit News (republished by GovTech), Oct. 6, 2026)
Contract
Flock Safety: $36,500 year · to Oct. 2026 · approved by Milford Village Council · Ten-camera, 12-month contract set to expire at the end of October 2026; cancelled Oct. 5, 2026. (The Detroit News (republished by GovTech), Oct. 6, 2026; WXYZ 7 News Detroit, Oct. 6, 2026)
  1. June 2026 Village Council unanimously voted not to renew the first five-camera Flock contract. (The Detroit News (republished by GovTech), Oct. 6, 2026)
  2. Oct. 5, 2026 Village Council unanimously voted, at Police Chief Scott Tarasiewicz's request, to end its remaining Flock contract; the chief cited slow vendor service on damaged cameras and said he may look at another LPR vendor once state or federal rules are clearer. (The Detroit News (republished by GovTech), Oct. 6, 2026; WXYZ 7 News Detroit, Oct. 6, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • June 2026 vote: only the month is reported.
  • WXYZ printed the five-camera amount as '$18,2500'; The Detroit News gives $18,250.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Ferndale Police Department

Status
Ended or removed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
'Over a dozen' Flock ALPRs installed in a February 2024 pilot (C&G, Nov. 2025). A proposed Axon replacement would have had nine cameras.
Contract
Axon: $110,968 total (5 years) · approved by Ferndale City Council (2025-12-15, 4-1, contingent) · Nine Axon ALPR cameras at $2,465.95 each ($27,741.90 per year), first year deferred, drug forfeiture funds. Approval was contingent on a surveillance-technology ordinance and policy; The Detroit News later reported the city dropped the Axon idea. (C&G Newspapers, Dec. 10, 2025; C&G Newspapers, Jan. 13, 2026; The Detroit News (republished by GovTech), July 17, 2026)
  1. Feb. 2024 Flock ALPR pilot installed. (C&G Newspapers, Nov. 20, 2025)
  2. Nov. 13, 2025 Police Chief Dennis Emmi announced the department was ending its Flock partnership after finding that a national lookup setting had let outside agencies search Ferndale's data, which he said conflicted with the city's policy on federal sharing; there was no council vote. (C&G Newspapers, Nov. 20, 2025)
  3. Dec. 15, 2025 City Council approved an Axon ALPR agreement 4-1, contingent on adoption of a surveillance ordinance and policy. (C&G Newspapers, Jan. 13, 2026)
  4. July 2026 The Detroit News reported Ferndale police had briefly considered Axon and then dropped the idea. (The Detroit News (republished by GovTech), July 17, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Department has operated without ALPR since Nov. 13, 2025 (C&G, Dec. 2025). The July 2026 Axon item is dated by article publication; the drop date was not given.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Clawson Police Department

Status
Ended or removed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
4
Four Flock Falcon cameras approved April 2024 (C&G).
Contract
Flock Safety: $26,600 total (2 years) · from 2024 · to 2026 · approved by Clawson City Council (2024-04-16, 4-1) · $14,600 first year and $12,000 second year, ARPA funds. Council declined renewal in May 2026. (C&G Newspapers, April 24, 2024; The Detroit News (republished by GovTech), July 17, 2026)
  1. April 16, 2024 City Council approved four Flock cameras 4-1; Council member Matthew Binkowski voted no. (C&G Newspapers, April 24, 2024)
  2. May 2026 City Council declined to renew the Flock contract, with three members voting against renewal. (The Detroit News (republished by GovTech), July 17, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • May 2026 non-renewal: only the month is reported. Removal not confirmed in opened sources.
  • Contract total is the sum of the two annual figures C&G reported.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Farmington Department of Public Safety (City of Farmington)

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
4
Four LPR cameras authorized, per council minutes Dec. 16, 2024.
Contract
Flock Safety: $19,900 initial · approved by Farmington City Council (2024-12-16, 5-0) · FY2024/25 purchase covering installation; minutes list a $15,500 annual recurring cost. (City of Farmington, Dec. 16, 2024)
  1. Dec. 16, 2024 City Council voted 5-0 (LaRussa, Parkins, Schneemann, Taylor, Balk) to buy the Flock LPR system and install four cameras. (City of Farmington, Dec. 16, 2024)
Conflicts and open questions
  • City of Farmington, not Farmington Hills. No later record found.

From agency records.

Farmington Hills Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
40
About 40 Flock cameras budgeted in 2022, per FOX 2; installation was delayed by permitting at the time.
  1. Oct. 2022 City officials budgeted about 40 Flock cameras; Police Chief Jeff King discussed the plan. (FOX 2 Detroit, Oct. 25, 2022)
Conflicts and open questions
  • No later record of installation, renewal or cancellation found.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Statewide

  1. Jan. 30, 2026 Michigan has no state statute governing automated license plate readers, leaving rules on use and data sharing to local governments, Bridge Michigan reported; it counted at least 125 county or municipal agencies with Flock Safety contracts. (Bridge Michigan, Jan. 30, 2026)
  2. Jan. 29, 2026 Reps. Douglas Wozniak (R-Shelby Township) and Jimmie Wilson Jr. (D-Ypsilanti) introduced tie-barred House Bills 5492 and 5493, which would create a new act setting guidelines for plate reader systems. Both were referred to the House Judiciary Committee the same day; the Legislature's site lists no later committee or floor action. (Michigan Legislature, Jan. 29, 2026; Michigan Legislature, Jan. 29, 2026; Bridge Michigan, March 5, 2026)
  3. March 5, 2026 As described by Bridge Michigan, the House package would cap retention of plate reader data at 14 days, limit uses to listed purposes such as missing persons, stolen vehicles, warrants and criminal investigations, require public reports on use, and give drivers a path to legal recourse for misuse. (Bridge Michigan, March 5, 2026)
  4. April 22, 2026 The House Fiscal Agency issued a summary of HB 5492 and HB 5493 as introduced. (Michigan Legislature, Jan. 29, 2026; Michigan Legislature, Jan. 29, 2026)
  5. July 29, 2026 Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) introduced Senate Bill 1131, which is similar to the House bills but not a formal companion. It went to the Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety the same day, and no later action is listed. His office said it would require a warrant to search plate-reader data except during active criminal, missing-person or stolen-vehicle investigations, and would have unused data erased after 14 days. (Michigan Legislature, July 29, 2026; Office of State Sen. Jim Runestad, July 29, 2026; WWMT, July 30, 2026)
  6. July 27, 2026 Fifteen Democratic state lawmakers asked the Michigan Department of Transportation to end a maintenance memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector and Homeland Security Investigations covering plate readers, and to review surveillance deployments on state transportation property. MDOT said it was reviewing the letter and that law enforcement plate readers have been permitted along its trunklines for several years. (Michigan Advance, July 27, 2026)
  7. July 2026 MDOT said agencies placing a plate reader on an MDOT trunkline must agree to follow the Michigan State Police manual for license plate reader systems and commit that the data will not be used, sold or transferred for non-law-enforcement purposes. (Michigan Advance, July 27, 2026)
  8. Aug. 14, 2026 Flock Safety announced company-wide policy changes, reported in Michigan: default retention cut from 30 to 7 days (existing customers may keep their current period), an option for cities to choose which offenses allow outside agencies to search their data, and audit tools and case codes required for searches by year-end. WILX reported more than 180 Michigan law enforcement agencies use Flock cameras. (WILX, Aug. 14, 2026)
  9. Aug. 4, 2026 Michigan Public reported that more than 180 Michigan law enforcement agencies use the cameras. Ron Wiles of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police said some oversight may be warranted but cautioned against rules that would make the tool ineffective; an ACLU of Michigan policy strategist warned the data could be used to track sensitive personal information. (Michigan Public, Aug. 4, 2026)

State agencies

Michigan State Police

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Cameras
Count not documented
MSP did not disclose how many freeway readers it installed in its 2023 metro Detroit pilot (WXYZ, Feb. 2023). No current count found.
  1. Jan. 30, 2023 MSP began installing plate readers along the Southfield Freeway and I-96 in metro Detroit as a pilot it said would later expand statewide; it said images would be kept 30 days and used for serious and violent crimes, not traffic enforcement. (WXYZ, Feb. 2, 2023; FOX 2 Detroit, Feb. 1, 2023)
  2. March 2023 MSP said readers were in use on freeways in several parts of the state and that it wanted to expand them. (WILX, March 6, 2023)
  3. June 20, 2023 MSP Procedure Manual 07-13, 'License Plate Reader Systems,' took effect. Under it MSP stores no historical plate data itself (the provider it subscribes to holds the data), MSP's agreements ask providers to keep data from MSP hardware no more than 30 days, every query must cite an incident number, and outside agencies can get data by written request to MSP supervisors with confirmation of an ongoing criminal investigation. (Michigan State Police (PowerDMS public), June 20, 2023)
  4. July 2026 MDOT said its permits for plate readers on state trunklines require agencies to comply with the MSP license plate reader manual. (Michigan Advance, July 27, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Vendor for MSP's own readers not named in any source opened; the manual refers only to the provider MSP subscribes to.
  • The newest source on MSP's own readers is from 2023, so current use is marked unconfirmed.
  • No Michigan Attorney General opinion or action on plate readers was found.

From agency records.