Summit County Sheriff says license plate readers damaged amid ‘de-Flock’ movement

A Motorola automatic license plate reader in Summit County. The Sheriff’s Office says multiple ALPR devices have been damaged in recent months, including two intentionally damaged cameras on the western side of the county. Photo: TownLift

Two automatic license plate readers in western Summit County were intentionally damaged within the past four months, with total damage to multiple devices estimated at more than $10,000

PARK CITY, Utah — Multiple automatic license plate readers operated by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office have been damaged in recent months, including two devices investigators believe were intentionally targeted amid growing opposition to automated surveillance cameras.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Skyler Talbot told TownLift on Tuesday that two automatic license plate readers, or ALPRs, on the western side of Summit County were intentionally damaged within the past four months. Both incidents remain under investigation.

Talbot said multiple devices have been damaged, with some requiring complete replacement, and estimated the total cost at more than $10,000.

The incidents come as opposition to automatic license plate reader networks has grown nationally, sometimes under the term “de-Flock,” a reference to Flock Safety, one of the companies that supplies license plate-reading technology to law enforcement agencies.

Talbot stressed that Summit County’s cameras are not Flock cameras.

“While our ALPR platform shares some functionality characteristics with Flock ALPR cameras, the SCSO does not have any Flock cameras, Flock systems, or Flock databases in place in Summit County,” Talbot said in a statement provided to TownLift.

The Sheriff’s Office uses Motorola license plate reader technology. TownLift reported in May that the agency operates between eight and 12 fixed readers across Summit County, along with mobile readers mounted on patrol vehicles. The readers capture license plate and vehicle information as cars pass and can be searched as part of criminal investigations.

The Sheriff’s Office has not changed its ALPR program in response to the recent damage, Talbot said. Cameras may also disappear temporarily from a location for routine reasons, including repairs or relocation based on operational needs.

“ALPR cameras are temporarily taken down for a variety of reasons, including repairs and relocation to different areas based on operational assessments,” Talbot said.

The damaged cameras add another layer to a broader local debate over the technology and how Summit County shares the information it collects.

TownLift reported in July that records from Motorola’s VehicleManager system showed Summit County and Park City license plate data being shared through a network involving more than 4,000 law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Border Patrol. The records did not show that any of those agencies had searched local plate data in a particular case.

The Sheriff’s Office has said its deputies must have an open case and case number when searching the system and has defended the readers as an important investigative tool.

TownLift also previously reported that Summit County signed a $55,000 contract with Flock Group Inc. in September 2025 for Flock Nova, a separate data-integration platform designed to bring multiple public safety data sources into one searchable system. Documents connected to that contract listed Motorola ALPR data among the sources available for integration. The contract does not mean the Sheriff’s Office operates Flock-branded license plate cameras.

Talbot said the license plate readers can help investigators locate missing or endangered people, identify suspects in violent or other serious crimes and develop investigative leads.

“When a camera is out of service for repairs or replacement, those capabilities are temporarily unavailable,” Talbot said.

The Sheriff’s Office recognizes that residents have differing views about ALPR technology, Talbot said, but intends to maintain the system.

“We recognize that there are differing opinions about the use of ALPR technology, and we respect the public’s interest in how these systems are used,” he said. “Our goal is to maintain these capabilities while using ALPR technology responsibly and in support of public safety.”

Talbot said intentionally damaging the devices can result in felony-level criminal charges. He did not identify suspects in either case under investigation or provide the precise locations of the damaged cameras.

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