The Navajo Nation has partnered with private surveillance company Flock Safety to deploy automatic license plate reader cameras across its 27,000-square-mile reservation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The initiative aims to bolster law enforcement capabilities in one of the country's most remote and underserved policing regions.
Navajo officials stated the cameras will serve as a crucial investigative tool for the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation and the Navajo Nation Police Department. These agencies face significant challenges, including a ratio of approximately one officer for every 1,000 residents and response times that can exceed an hour due to vast distances officers must travel. The police department reports that these conditions contribute to a public safety crisis that disproportionately affects Indigenous communities.
A Navajo criminal investigator indicated that the technology will help identify suspect vehicles in ongoing investigations involving drug smuggling, child abductions, missing persons, and homicides. The investigator added that Flock Safety will act as additional eyes in the community, assisting in apprehending dangerous subjects and mitigating the impact of manpower shortages on the reservation.
The deployment occurs as automatic license plate reader technology faces increasing scrutiny and backlash in Arizona. Privacy advocates and some local officials have voiced concerns about the widespread use of surveillance cameras. Flagstaff and Sedona have ended their contracts with Flock Safety, and Chandler is considering whether to renew its agreement following public comment periods. A legislative effort earlier this year to establish statewide standards for automatic license plate reader systems in Arizona failed to pass.
Flock Safety has stated it supports legislation that creates guidelines for the use and sharing of license plate recognition data while maintaining the technology's effectiveness for public safety. The Navajo Nation also issued a warning that tampering with or damaging the cameras is a criminal offense under Title 17 of the Navajo Nation Code.
Other law enforcement agencies have also reevaluated their relationships with Flock Safety. The Los Angeles Police Department recently suspended its contract due to disagreements over footage control. Major cities in Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan have severed ties with the company, while departments in Georgia and Oklahoma continue to utilize its services.
The Navajo Nation is the largest land area administered by an Indigenous nation in the United States. Indigenous women face disproportionately high rates of murder, and over 10,000 Native Americans were reported missing in 2024, with more than half being women, according to police data.