Scottsdale’s Flock Fight Is Really About Who Watches the Watchers

By Alexander Lomax

Photo Credit: Arizona PBS

Scottsdale has 85 cameras photographing license plates at intersections across the city. Until recently, few residents knew they existed. Now, thanks to Mayor Lisa Borowsky, they’re the hottest issue at City Hall. This week, the council held a public hearing on the Flock system after Borowsky pushed it onto the agenda. Meanwhile, city leaders have promised an independent audit of how police use it.

The timing certainly seems to be concerted. Chandler, Tempe and Cave Creek have all dropped Flock amid privacy worries and possible misuse. Closer to home, council candidates are already taking sides, with two seats on the November ballot.

How a Camera Contract Became a Campaign Issue

Few local issues scramble the usual coalitions like this one. Libertarian-minded conservatives distrust government tracking. Progressives worry about where the data could end up, including federal immigration enforcement. As a result, Flock unites voters who agree on almost nothing else.

The candidates reflect that tension. Incumbent Solange Whitehead says Flock failed to meet the privacy expectations the city set. Barry Graham, also seeking reelection, shares concerns about abuse elsewhere but says he knows of no misuse here. That gap gives voters a genuine choice, which is rarer than it should be in council races.

The Case for the Cameras

Photo Credit: AZPM News

Police make a serious argument. Assistant Chief Chris Watson told the council the system helps find missing people, identify violent offenders and recover stolen cars. Moreover, the department says Scottsdale’s cameras don’t use facial recognition. Data is kept for 185 days, and searches require a legitimate criminal justice purpose. Chief Joe LeDuc has said flatly that the city would be less safe without it.

The Case Against

Still, Borowsky raises the deeper question. Courts have long tolerated occasional observation of public roads. However, cameras running around the clock and logging every passing car are something different. In fact, she warned that any system this powerful invites abuse. Chandler learned that lesson when an audit flagged unexplained activity by an employee. The price tag matters too, at more than $281,000 a year.

Our Take

The answer isn’t blind trust or a reflexive ban. Instead, Scottsdale should complete the independent audit before the council revisits Flock on Dec. 1. It should also cut retention well below six months and publish search logs on a regular schedule. Criminal penalties for misuse, already floated by city staff, belong on the books. If Flock can’t live within those limits, the council should decline to renew in 2027.

Safety matters. So does the freedom to drive to work without becoming a data point. Borowsky deserves credit for forcing this conversation into the open. Now voters get to finish it.