08/27/2026
The Facts About Flock - A Message from Police Chief, Glenn DeWitt
There has been a lot of discussion in our community about the use of Flock Safety cameras in Stanwood, and some of that discussion has resulted in misinformation and misunderstanding. As your Police Chief, I believe you deserve factual and transparent information about the tools we use to keep our community safe.
In 2025, the City of Stanwood installed 14 Flock cameras at major entry and exit points in the City to enhance public safety and help our officers do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.
Flock data helps law enforcement investigate felony and gross misdemeanor crimes, recover stolen vehicles, identify vehicles associated with wanted individuals, and safely locate missing or endangered people.
I want to be very clear about what these cameras are and what they are not.
Flock cameras do not record continuous video. They do not identify drivers or passengers. They do not capture vehicle speed. And they most certainly are not used to monitor people.
Our officers are not using this system to watch ordinary residents or document people’s daily routines. We do not have the staffing, lawful reason, or interest to do so.
Flock cameras capture still images of passing vehicles. Those images can include a vehicle’s license plate, make, model, color and other distinguishing features such as a bumper sticker or visible damage.
It’s important to put the information these cameras collect into perspective. A police officer observing a vehicle traveling down a public roadway can see significantly more than the information a Flock camera captures. An officer may be able to see the driver, passengers, activity inside the vehicle, and other details.
Vehicles traveling on public roadways are plainly visible to anyone around them. Courts have long recognized a reduced expectation of privacy when information is visible to the public eye.
One of the most common questions I have heard is: what prevents this technology from being misused? It is a fair question, and residents should know that with Washington State SB 6002 in place, there are safeguards governing how Flock data can be used and who has access.
Here are several protections you as residents should be aware of:
Searches are audited. Searches create an audit trail that is maintained for two years, showing who accessed the system, when it was accessed, and the purpose of the search. Searches must be tied to a legitimate law enforcement purpose, and system access is subject to annual internal compliance audits.
Data has a limited retention period. Flock data is stored for 21 days in a secure, cloud-based system before being permanently deleted, unless it is retained as part of an active investigation.
Access to the data is restricted. Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office shares access with a limited number of law enforcement organizations. Participating agencies must enter into an agreement and comply with applicable policies and requirements governing use of the system. Data is also exempt from the Washington State Public =Records Act.
The data is not shared with federal agencies. Our Flock data is not simply handed over or made available to federal agencies, and Washington law prohibits the use of these systems for immigration investigation or enforcement.
An alert from Flock is not, by itself, grounds to stop someone. When a Flock camera detects a vehicle match to one listed in a law enforcement database, such as a stolen or wanted vehicle, the system sends an alert to law enforcement. Because technology isn’t perfect and alerts can contain errors, officers must independently verify the information or have reasonable suspicion before making a traffic stop.
Flock cannot be used to monitor protected activities. The system cannot lawfully be used to identify or track people for participating in constitutionally protected activities such as attending a protest or place of worship. State law also prohibits data collection at or around protected locations like schools, places of worship, courts, food banks, and health care facilities.
I want to reiterate that Flock is an investigative tool. It does not replace an officer’s judgment, responsibility, or obligation to follow the law.
At the Stanwood Police Department, we are committed to respecting privacy while upholding the law and keeping our residents safe.
Transparency and public trust are a priority to both Stanwood Police and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office has launched a transparency portal where the public can see information such as the number of active cameras, which law enforcement jurisdictions data is shared with, and other information about the system and its use. You can view the portal at https://bit.ly/4zFzcdk
In the relatively short time Flock cameras have been active in Stanwood, they have helped our officers identify a suspect vehicle in a stolen vehicle and trailer investigation, locate a suspect associated with a domestic violence case, and apprehend a Seattle resident suspected of burglarizing The Cookie Mill, a longtime Stanwood business.
These are real examples of how this technology is helping our officers do their jobs and protect our community.
I understand that some people will remain uncomfortable with this technology, and I respect that. Questions and concerns are welcome. But those conversations should begin with accurate information about what these cameras do and how they are being used in Stanwood.
If this technology can help us recover an abducted child, safely locate a missing elder, identify a vehicle involved in a violent crime, recover a stolen vehicle, or apprehend someone targeting our local businesses, then it is serving its purpose. And here in Stanwood, Flock is already doing just that.
