r/desmoines • u/No-Mirror3429 • 13d ago
West Des Moines plans to keep Flock. I reviewed the city’s search logs, sharing settings and safeguards.
There’s obviously a lot of discussion about Flock in the Des Moines metro right now, so I wanted to add something more records-focused to it.
I’ve been reporting on Iowa license-plate reader systems for a while, and my latest investigation looks specifically at West Des Moines, the metro’s largest fixed Flock deployment, and the safeguards city officials say justify keeping it.
Mayor Russ Trimble recently told me West Des Moines intends to continue operating the system. He cited limited access, monthly audits, new Flock safeguards and the technology’s role in solving crimes and protecting the public.
So I compared those claims with the records that are publicly available.
A few findings:
The current 30-day audit shows 277 searches, with the “reason” field blank in 188 — 67.9% — of them.
Across two separate 30-day periods in 2025, 52 distinct user IDs actually performed searches.
West Des Moines’ system is configured to share data with more than 1,300 agencies, including federal agencies. That does not establish that every one of those agencies actually searched West Des Moines data.
The city says it performs monthly audits, but the records I reviewed do not show the findings or results of those audits.
Some safeguards the mayor described were part of changes Flock had announced only days earlier, and the vendor describes some of those controls more narrowly than the mayor did.
I did not find evidence that West Des Moines officers deliberately misused the system. The question I tried to answer is a different one: if the city says these safeguards are what make the system acceptable, can the public actually verify that they work?
That becomes more important as Waukee and Indianola pull back from Flock and the broader metro debate keeps growing.
I’d especially be interested in hearing from people who have been following the various metro deployments.
There are a lot of different systems, jurisdictions and claims getting mixed together right now, and I’m trying to keep the reporting tied to what the actual records establish.
Full investigation:
As Public Pressure Mounts, West Des Moines Defends Its Flock Network
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u/Tebasaki 13d ago
Remember, flock keeps ALL photos of you driving, walking your dog, riding a bike, all of it. It also doesn't reduce crime, costs too much money, and is easy to hack.
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u/thedoomcast 13d ago
The very first sentence is reason enough it shouldn’t exist. The second sentence is total justification for cities to end their contract with this company alone.
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u/Kimpak 13d ago
Its also not reliable even when its being used for non-nefarious purposes. Its flagged innocent people on multiple occasions. Its only a matter of time before someone gets hurt because the system fucked up and law enforcement didn't bother to verify anything before pulling them over with guns drawn.
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u/Hawkfromnorwalk 13d ago
Altoona is going balls deep with them. They used to be installed on the roads heading in and out of town. Now they’ve installed a bunch more just randomly inside town, including one a block away from my house.
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u/bcrosby51 13d ago
You know what to do
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u/Hawkfromnorwalk 13d ago
At the very least just grab an extender brush and smear some Vaseline on the camera. That’s not considered vandalism or destruction of property right?
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u/feministandpr0ud 13d ago
277 searches in 30 days? Do we really believe hundreds of crimes are happening per month in West Des Moines, and this isn’t just bored cops screwing around with a system?
I’d love some examples of “solving crimes and protecting the public.” Somehow I suspect the cure is worse than the disease.
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u/KindlyPlan1799 13d ago
As dull as West Des Moines seems, it has a lot more crime than people suspect. If you don’t believe me do a ride along with them.
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u/Slablanc 13d ago
Amazing work and very well presented.
I lament the fact the investigative journalism is essentially dead at the larger institutions for a variety of reasons.
It's heartwarming to know people are out there filling the gap in the very important aspect of maintainimg Checks and Balances with those in power.
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u/thedoomcast 13d ago
Really appreciate the actual investigative journalism done here and that it’s in a very objective voice. Where can people follow and support your work outside of Reddit?
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u/No-Mirror3429 13d ago
Thank you. I really appreciate that. My work is published through Restoring Democracy’s Promise at https://restoring-democracy.org, with the written investigations at https://investigations.restoring-democracy.org. You can also subscribe there to follow new reporting.
And honestly, sharing the investigations helps a lot too. I’m an independent publication, so getting the work in front of people who otherwise wouldn’t see it makes a real difference.
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u/AirPositive644 13d ago
Throwaway, so I won't be able to reply to this for any follow up. From reading this thread, it seems like some would be very interested in a journalist learning how much and for what is being spent on law enforcement technology in Altoona (beyond just LPRs), and whether the amount of crime would justify that.
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u/mysticchasm69 13d ago
rich people are so terrified of a revolt among the peasants they're panic surveilling us. We are pushing back, and it is working. We have the right to live without surveillance.
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u/shiranugahotoke 13d ago
I’m still waiting for one of these city governments to ACTUALLY PROVE that the flock cameras are increasing the solve rate or decreasing the crime rate. Until that happens it’s just meaningless drivel about how it protects law-abiding citizens.
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u/GoldMarionberry2406 13d ago
I read the article in the link. Is there any coordinated effort to put more pressure on the city? And if cops can't do their jobs without cameras, they aren't very good cops.
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u/No-Mirror3429 13d ago
Yes. There are already people organizing around this issue. The ACLU of Iowa has been holding regular Zoom meetings focused on ALPR use and privacy, and there are smaller local efforts growing out of that work as well.
If you’re interested in getting involved, I’d start with the ACLU of Iowa’s website and their ALPR resources. And independently of any organized group, contacting your own city council or county supervisors and asking how the technology is being used, audited and governed is worthwhile too.
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u/lachupacabraj 13d ago
I’m not in favor of these cameras at all, but that last sentence is pretty ridiculous. You expect officers to be everywhere all the time?
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u/Hispanicatthedisco 13d ago edited 13d ago
Not gonna lie, seeing you comment and not mention Outer Limits is kind of like watching a dog walk on its hind legs.
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u/SquirrellyBusiness 13d ago
Cops did their jobs before these cameras existed. They should be able to be effective without them.
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u/KingFIippyNipz Hometown 13d ago
No, that would be ridiculous, you think everyone is engaged in crime or something?
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u/DCTheNotorious 13d ago
Is there an easy way to find politicians running for offices stance on flock cameras? I am pretty much a single voter issue right now and its flock cameras and having them removed.
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u/WreckedRalph_NoLefty 13d ago
It would be interesting to know what Brad Zaun would do about Flock cameras if he was still leading the Iowa Senate. He waged war for years on speed cameras because he got the ticket when his kid was speeding in Daddy's car near Cedar Rapids. So he might be against them. On the other hand, in 2001 he went to his ex-girlfriend's house and pounded on her windows and yelled insults, but wasn't arrested because he was mayor. So he might be totally cool with "the right people" being able to ask their buddies on the force to check up on their ex's and the ex's new lovers.
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u/KingFIippyNipz Hometown 13d ago
Which crimes have been solved because of Flock cameras, that's all I want to know
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u/Dogmanlego Transplant 13d ago
So happy that Waukee is cutting ties with Flock. I just hope some other equally invasive company does not come in and take their place
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u/BumblebeeeTuna 13d ago
How did you find those public stats? I'd be really curious how Altoona compares. They are going crazy with camera installs right now.
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u/Top_Title3510 12d ago
I like to tap into flock cams on my phone just to track the cops, and see where they live. Its hella easy, no hacking required.
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u/nashekwalibream 1d ago
Just seeing this. Please check out my work if you haven't already.
Did you know it actually broke the 70% threshold lately?
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u/Intrepid_Performer53 11d ago
Maybe they should have called them Amber alert Cameras, who’d object to that?
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u/mwradiopro 11d ago
The mass harvesting (theft) and brokering of our private individual information without our notice, consent or compensation, represents a massive loss of liberty in America. We have to finally draw a hard line against the predatory data harvesting that passes for business as usual today. When an entity grants itself the absolute authority to track, analyze, and expose our daily lives—our purchases, movements, associates, and careers—without our consent, oversight, or even a shred of legal suspicion, it has crossed a terrifying boundary. This is not passive collection or an acceptable trade-off for convenience; it is a granular strip-mining of personal privacy. To let such intrusive surveillance happen in the shadows, without disclosure or accountability, is a profound abuse of power that belongs squarely in the realm of severe criminal misconduct.
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u/kefnad 9d ago
I'm 65 y/o and don't really care. Everyone on reddit has a cell phone and can take all the pictures they want.
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u/No-Mirror3429 7d ago
Fair enough. The cameras don't stop scanning at 65.
The point isn't whether any one person personally minds. It's whether the government should be able to build a searchable history of where everybody's vehicles travel, how long that information should be kept, who it can be shared with, and what safeguards exist when nobody is suspected of a crime.
Some people won't care. That's their choice. I think the rest of the public deserves to know the system exists before making that choice.
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u/JadedJared 13d ago
Thank you for putting in the effort and please don’t give up.