AI surveillance is changing Idaho policing. Here's what to know
Idaho police departments are rapidly deploying AI-powered tools — including Flock cameras, gunshot detection systems and drones — to track suspects and respond to emergencies. But the technology has drawn criticism over privacy concerns, federal data sharing and at least one Idaho case of abuse.
FULL STORY: Flock cameras, AI and drones. Technology transforming police work in Idaho
Here are key takeaways:
- Caldwell police used Flock cameras and an AI tool called Raven to locate and arrest an armed suspect within 15 minutes after a shooting on Freeport Street last October. Police Chief Rex Ingram said the street had seven shootings in the six months before Flock was installed and just one since.
- Caldwell spends more than $484,000 a year on Flock cameras and drones. The city approved a three-year, $378,000-per-year deal in 2023 for 33 cameras, then added 28 more at $42,000 per year.
- Out of 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide, about 28% use Flock, according to Flock’s website and reporting by NPR. Flock Safety operates more than 97,000 cameras across the United States.
- The ACLU of Idaho says Flock data has been shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and data brokers without consent. At least 30 cities, including Denver and Hillsborough, North Carolina, have ended Flock contracts over data-sharing concerns.
- In Jerome County, Deputy Sheriff George Oppedyk was pressured into early retirement in 2025 after an investigation found he used Flock cameras to track his wife’s car more than 700 times over three months.
- Caldwell Mayor Eric Phillips, elected in November, opposes the cameras: “If I could take the cameras out of the city, I would take them out right now.” He said residents want officers, not cameras, patrolling their streets.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.