How to Request Audit Logs

A guide to requesting and understanding Flock ALPR audit logs through public records

Already obtained audit logs? You can submit them directly.
The information on this website is of a general nature; it is not legal advice, and it was not created, reviewed, or approved by any attorney. It is provided to help you exercise your right to information. "Have I Been Flocked?" can not provide advice specific to your situation.

What are Audit Logs?

Audit logs are records of searches performed within the Flock system. They document when operators query the database for license plates and ostensibly exist to help provide transparency into how mass surveillance systems are being used in your community.

There are three distinct types of audit logs, each with different levels of detail:

Agencies keep other Flock records worth requesting alongside the search logs. Network sharing files, event logs, and configuration settings are covered further down.

Organization Audit Log

Contains searches performed by the agency's own operators. This is the most detailed log type, including operator names, license plates searched, and case numbers. It can be downloaded directly from the Flock software as a CSV file.

Fields: ID, Name, Org Name, Camera Count, Time Frame, License Plate, Reason, Case #, Filters, Search Time, Search Type, Text Prompt, Moderation

Network Audit Log

Contains searches conducted by other agencies that accessed data through network sharing agreements. For example, when an agency from Texas conducts a nationwide search, they may appear in the network logs for an agency in Minnesota. This log can also be downloaded from the Flock software as a CSV file. Operator names and license plates are redacted with ***.

Fields: ID, Name (redacted), Org Name, Camera Count, Time Frame, License Plate (redacted), Reason, Case #, Filters, Search Time, Search Type, Text Prompt, Moderation

Portal / Public Audit Log

Some agencies have a Transparency Portal enabled, which may include a "Public Search Audit" file. These are notably different from the organization and network logs above. They are heavily redacted and contain only user UUIDs (not officer names), search dates, camera counts, and reasons.

Fields: Variable (agency-configured)

Other records worth requesting

The three logs above record searches. Agencies keep other Flock records that describe how the system is set up and how it is used. These are just as revealing, and just as requestable.

Network Sharing

A snapshot of which agencies an organization shares its Flock data with, and which agencies share data back to it. This is a configuration export, not a record of searches: it shows the sharing relationships in place at the moment the file was generated. It downloads from the Flock software as a CSV file, usually named SharedNetworks.csv.

Fields: Organization Name, Networks Shared With Me, Networks I'm Sharing

Each row is one other organization. "Networks Shared With Me" lists the networks that organization shares inward to the exporting agency, and "Networks I'm Sharing" lists what the exporting agency shares outward to them. A blank cell means no sharing in that direction.

Event Logs

A running record of administrative actions taken in an agency's Flock account: creating or editing hotlists (watchlists of specific plates), granting or changing network sharing, adding users and roles, renaming cameras, and opening live camera streams. Where the audit logs record searches, the event log records changes to the system itself. Some agencies can export it from the Flock software as a CSV file.

Fields: Timestamp, User, Event Type, Entity Type, Entity Details, Event Id

Event Type is create, update, or delete. Entity Type names what changed — a hotlist entry, a network share, a user, a camera, or a live-stream view. Entity Details holds the specifics for that change.

Configuration Settings

The settings that govern how an agency's Flock system behaves: network-sharing rules (whether requests from nearby agencies are auto-approved, and how widely the network is discoverable), live-stream access permissions, data-retention periods, and third-party integrations. These are not a file you download — they live on the settings pages of the Flock admin dashboard. Agencies typically provide them as screenshots, so ask for them specifically. Requesters have, for example, asked for the organization-level "Can View Live Stream For LPR" setting and the network-share auto-approval settings.

These settings pages were released for Dunwoody GA PD. Tap a thumbnail to view it full size.

Sample Request Language

I am requesting copies of all audit logs, search logs, or usage reports related to your agency's use of Flock "ALPR" systems for the period of [START DATE] through [END DATE]. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Records of license plate searches performed by agency personnel
  • Timestamps of searches
  • User identification information (names, badge numbers, or user IDs)
  • Any associated case numbers or investigation references
  • A list of network share settings (the networks shared with your agency and the networks your agency shares out)
  • Event logs or system activity logs, including hotlist and network-sharing changes
  • Screenshots of relevant configuration settings, including network-sharing and live-stream access settings

Some of these records may be available as the "Organization Audit" and "Network Audit" in the Flock software's "Insights" section.

Please provide records in their original electronic format (CSV, Excel, or similar) where possible.

Filing a Public Records Request

To get audit logs from agencies using Flock systems, you can file a public records request (also known as a Freedom of Information Act or FOIA request) with the relevant government agency. This could be a police department or a sheriff's office, or it could be the city clerk or a designated open records person.

If you've never filed a public records request before: it may be easier than you think! The exact steps to file a request vary from state to state, and sometimes city to city, but below are the general steps. Remember, public oversight is an integral, necessary part of any functional democratic society.

General steps to File a Request:

  1. Determine which police department or government agency in your area uses the Flock system.
  2. Most agencies or cities have a public records request process on their website, or you can contact them directly.
  3. Request audit logs. It helps to be specific, but not too specific. See the description below for details.
  4. Agencies typically have a set timeframe to respond (often 2–5 weeks). Follow up if you don't receive a response within the expected timeframe. Remember: you're not asking for a favor, you're exercising a right.

Accessing audit logs

Sometimes agencies will respond that they don't know where their audit logs are. We've observed that this regularly happens even when agencies have had audit policies in place for some time. In such cases, you can consider offering the following instructions from Flock:

The audit logs can be accessed via your agency's Flock admin dashboard on the "Insights" tab. These logs may show the date/time of search, user ID, and search parameters and reason. Customers may download these logs in the user interface as spreadsheets in 31-day increments. It is recommended that Flock customer support assist customers with the downloads when feasible for timeframes larger than six months and major accounts.

Flock Safety, Guide to Flock Safety Data for Open Records Laws (Sept. 3, 2025)

Common issues and denials

In our experience, agencies are generally resistant to disclosing audit logs. They frequently use tactics to reduce, redact, delay, or withhold records. In fact, Flock, despite its stated commitment to transparency, encourages agencies to do some of these things:

  • Agencies should consider whether to redact license plates, search reasons, and case numbers from these logs, as well as other potential fields that may be deemed sensitive.
  • Agencies should also consider negotiating a narrowed timeframe and whether they are entitled to payment of an upfront fee for the effort involved to gather and redact the responsive information.

Flock Safety, Guide to Flock Safety Data for Open Records Laws (Sept. 3, 2025)

Issue Tips
Stalling, delays Check legally required timelines beforehand and include them in your original request. Follow up regularly.
Willful ignorance Provide the snippet from Flock's documentation , and refer the agency to Flock for further support.
Excessive redaction Ask for a specific legal basis for each redaction. Generally, license plates, case numbers, and names of government officials are not exempt from open records laws. Check what the agency has released before.
"Jeopardize ongoing criminal investigation" In cases where exemptions exist, they generally apply only to existing investigations, not to anything that could contain information about possible investigations. Ask for the specific legal basis for withholding.

For the same reasons that it has (so far) been deemed lawful for Flock to collect and share your information, it is lawful for you to receive that same information.

Check what an agency has released before

Agencies sometimes assert categorical exemptions in ways that aren't in line with their previous treatment of the same data, or even their own prior open records responses. You can check the Fields Seen tab on an agency's page to show what that agency has released before. For an example, see Clive IA PD's tab .

The tab covers both direct releases (records the agency released itself), and indirect ones (records of the agency's searches released by other agencies).

Problems: Now what?

If your request, or a part of your request, is denied, many states offer a way to enforce open records without going to court. Sometimes dedicated state-level boards or commissions exist, sometimes it's part of the state attorney general's responsibilities, and sometimes it's a county-level function.

If your request is denied, you can consider filing an administrative complaint with one of those agencies. This is generally an easy process designed to be used by the general public. But, make sure you understand the process and the possible outcomes before filing the complaint.

It is also worth considering the relationship between an agency handling the complaint and the agency being complained about. In some cases, especially with attorneys general, there may be close working relationships between the complaint-handling agency and the denying agency.

In many cases, you have the option of filing a civil lawsuit under your state's open records laws. As with all lawsuits, this is a lengthy, complicated, and possibly expensive process. However, the process is more formal and puts you in front of a neutral party.

If your request is denied or heavily redacted, consider looking into your state's options for recourse, and consulting with an attorney if needed.

Resources

  • MuckRock - Platform for filing and tracking public records requests
  • Eyes on Flock - Community resource for Flock surveillance
  • Deflock - Community camera map
  • Non-profits in your area may have additional information on filing open records requests.