An Iowa sheriff's office has reportedly instructed its deputies to keep the use of automated license plate readers (ALPR) hidden from the public.
A policy obtained by 404 Media reveals that officers are told not to disclose ALPR usage to vehicle occupants or in written reports unless absolutely necessary.
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The Wapello County Sheriff's Office policy states: "DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE" and "DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE IN YOUR REPORT OR COMPLAINT UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY."
The county, which has only four Flock Safety cameras under a contract signed in late 2024, has adopted this approach.
Policy Details and Sheriff's Defense
If deputies must explain how a vehicle was located, the November 2025 policy suggests wording like, "Using county resources, I discovered the suspect vehicle was bearing an Iowa plate."
It also instructs officers to treat ALPR data as intelligence, a lead to be verified through conventional police databases before action.
Sheriff Don Phillips defended the policy, stating that deputies confirm the plate and any associated warrant, stolen-vehicle report, or missing-person record before acting.
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He argues that disclosing the camera system would reveal investigative methods that criminals could try to evade.
While verification is important—ALPR systems can misread plates—there is a difference between protecting a source during an active investigation and deliberately obscuring the fact that a person was found through a surveillance network.
Flock's cameras are now in thousands of communities, and their databases can reveal a vehicle's movements and much about its owner's daily life.
Police departments have faced criticism over loose access controls, misuse, false alerts, and overwhelming volumes of hits.
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Flock promotes auditing and transparency tools as safeguards, but this policy shows how little those promises mean when the agency prefers the public not know about its involvement.
