Controversial Flock license plate readers shut off by another Eastern WA city
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- Prosser shut off 20 Flock Safety license-plate cameras, citing liability risk.
- City will maintain its contract through November 2026 while preserving records.
- Audit and court rulings found external access and public-records exposure.
Prosser has become the first Benton County city to back away from the license plate readers run by Flock Safety Systems, as controversy over access to the data grows.
The city announced Monday that the cameras across the city had been shut off and weren’t collecting any information, City Administrator Rachel Shaw said in a press release. The city is maintaining its contract with the Georgia-based company through November 2026.
Prosser has 20 cameras throughout the city that were bought using a state grant in 2023.
Shaw pinned the decision on an “increased risk of liability, the risk to public safety from potential misuse of the cameras and the continued strain on city resources.”
An audit conducted by the University of Washington Center for Human Rights found the Prosser cameras had been accessed by Johnson County, Texas sheriff’s deputies. They were looking for a woman who suspected of travelling after an abortion.
About the same time, a court decision found that the recordings made by the cameras are public records and subject to disclosure.
“The city of Prosser is committed to balancing public safety with fiscal responsibility and maintaining community trust,” Shaw said in the press release. “After evaluating the use of this technology, the city made the decision to deactivate the cameras at this time.”
While no new data has been collected, city officials promised that they will follow legal and contractual requirements with the current information.
The automated license plate reading systems have been at the center of controversy in recent months.
Law enforcement have said the systems have been a boon to investigators and have helped solve cases much faster.
The majority of agencies in Benton and Franklin counties have adopted the cameras. The only exception has been the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
It has proven instrumental in helping to track suspects in murders, assaults, hit-and-runs and other crimes.
But they’ve also faced growing scrutiny after several media reports of the cameras being accessed by US Border Patrol, the US Postal Service and out of state law enforcement for items that weren’t local crimes.
Walla Walla police have backed out of using them. Yakima residents have petitioned for their agencies to stop using the system.
The systems have also faced skepticism from some residents who believed they were too intrusive.
Monday’s announcement was greeted with mixed responses on social media with many people thanking the city for stopping them. Though some wanted their continued use, particularly by immigration enforcement.
This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 2:00 PM.