Flock Safety Transparency

The Renton Police Department has joined more than five thousand law enforcement agencies nationwide, including over 80 in Washington

State, that use Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras to solve and prevent crime. Many of our neighboring agencies also utilize Flock Safety, including the Kent, Tukwila, and Auburn Police Departments, allowing us to collaborate on solving crimes.

Currently, 24 Flock Safety cameras are installed throughout the City of Renton. These cameras are a cost-effective and highly accurate investigative tool that captures objective details, such as license plate numbers, as well as the make, model, and color of vehicles. This data helps alert our officers to stolen vehicles or license plates, as well as vehicles associated with wanted suspects, missing persons, or felony crimes listed in state and national databases.

Flock cameras are not live surveillance tools and do not provide real-time video feeds or facial recognition. Instead, they capture still images of vehicles and license plates strictly for investigative purposes. Officers can only access the data with a legitimate crime-related justification, and all searches are logged for accountability purposes. 

The data collected is securely stored in a cloud-based system for 30 days and automatically deleted unless it becomes part of an active criminal investigation. The system does not capture personal or driver information and is not used for traffic enforcement related to registration, license violations, or unpaid fines.

Our goal is to enhance public safety while protecting privacy. The use of ALPR technology is one more way we are working to keep Renton safe for everyone.

You can find our publicly available policies and usage statistics on the RPD Flock Safety Transparency Portal.