February 23, 2026
Vegas, now with extra Big Brother
Flock cameras gifted by Horowitz Foundation, avoiding public oversight
Sin City cops get donor-funded spy cams — locals call it democracy on mute
TLDR: Las Vegas police deployed donor-funded Flock cameras without public input, letting a private foundation sidestep oversight. Commenters erupted over privacy, VC influence, and a contract that lets Flock use data broadly, framing it as a sleek path to a surveillance state and demanding ethics rules and transparency.
Las Vegas police quietly rolled out Flock license plate cameras using donor money from the Horowitz Family Foundation — and the internet did not hold back. Commenters blasted the move as “a short circuit of democracy”, echoing the ACLU’s warning, and accused venture capital cash of smuggling surveillance into the city without a public say. One furious voice dropped the F-word (“fascists”), while another demanded ethics laws and accountability. The VC drama spilled over with jabs at tech booster lists, asking when Y Combinator will stop celebrating Flock as a “Safety” win.
The tech itself sounds simple: cameras scan plates and car details, feed a national database, and help police track vehicles across cities. Metro says it runs about 200 of these, has shared data widely, and logged 23,000 searches. But the fine print turned into a meme-worthy moment: Flock’s contract says the company can use the data “for any purpose,” even though recordings are kept just 30 days. Cue links to broader concerns like this deep dive on gifted surveillance and jokes about “Have I Been Flocked” as the city’s new mood board. The biggest flashpoint? No public meetings because it’s donor-funded. The crowd sees it as Big Brother — with a generous benefactor — and they’re not laughing.
Key Points
- •LVMPD adopted Flock Security automated license plate reader cameras via a 2023 agreement.
- •Most Las Vegas-area Flock cameras are funded through the Horowitz Family Foundation, not taxpayer dollars.
- •The donor-funded model allows LVMPD to avoid public comment requirements on surveillance technology.
- •Flock’s contract states it retains rights to data and may use it for any purpose, with recordings kept no longer than 30 days.
- •LVMPD operates about 200 cameras, shares data with hundreds of agencies, and has logged over 23,000 vehicle searches since late 2023.