Yes.
In February 2025, the University of Arizona approved an $870,000, five-year contract with Flock Safety to install 62 automated license plate reader cameras across campus, according to records obtained by Tucson Spotlight.
The on-campus license plate readers are part of Flock’s community safety network, which connects local, state and federal law enforcement agencies through a shared database of license plate information. The University of Arizona Police Department says that external agencies cannot access its camera data without departmental approval or a court order. But civil liberties organizations like the ACLU warn that Flock’s system enables broad surveillance, citing cases where it was used to track individuals seeking health care, assist immigration investigations and tie license plates to personal identities through data brokers.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- UA approved $870K Flock Safety deal for campus surveillance, Tucson Spotlight
- ALPR Map, De.Flock
- It always feels like, somebody's watching me: New license plate-reading cameras at UA prompt praise, concern, KGUN9 Tucson
- Flock’s Aggressive Expansions Go Far Beyond Simple Driver Surveillance, ACLU
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
