PRESS RELEASE
DC Police Union Questions Legitimacy of Flock Cameras,
States MPD Still Has Not Built the Guardrails.
September 10, 2026
Contact: Gregg Pemberton, President
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The DC Police Union said today that Metropolitan Police Department license-plate reader and Flock systems might be legitimate investigative tools when they are used under a lawful standard; however, the Department has failed to negotiate, establish, and enforce the controls required for a system this powerful. Gregg Pemberton, President of the DC Police Union stated, “A system with such broad and extensive capabilities requires not only significant guardrails, but also full transparency with the public. The MPD has provided neither.”
In July of 2026, the DC Police Union identified improper use by management of Flock data. The Union responded by immediately filing misconduct complaints and submitting a class grievance demanding that the violations stop. Management responded by denying the grievance and refusing to investigate managers who were alleged to be violating the system. The same day the grievance was denied, the Department issued a new teletype restricting Department-wide access.
“For years, thousands of cameras have been operating across this city. The problem is not the camera,” said Pemberton. “The problem is that the full capabilities of this system remain unknown, and the guardrails needed to prevent misuse have not been properly negotiated or implemented by MPD. Public trust cannot be built through secrecy about this technology, and officer trust cannot be built by tightening rules on the rank-and-file while refusing to investigate the officials who abused the system.”
The Union’s misconduct complaints remain active. The denied class grievance is proceeding to arbitration. The Union is evaluating further challenges to how the new access rules are applied and who is held accountable.
“If MPD wants this technology to survive public scrutiny, they must allow public input and require the same justification, logging, and audit rules apply at every rank,” Pemberton said.
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Gregg Pemberton
President
DC Police Union Lodge #2
@DCPoliceUnion @Flock