Police Surveillance Technology

Surprise Police Department has used automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology, and public records and statements describe additional camera, dispatch, digital-evidence, and drone-related programs. These technologies do not all have the same operating status or evidence quality. This page separates verified historical systems, budgeted or announced projects, outside camera access, and observations that have not been confirmed as City-operated equipment.

The most significant recent development is Surprise’s August 2026 termination of its Flock Safety ALPR agreement. That decision must not be confused with the present operating status of every camera physically located in Surprise, every other surveillance technology, or every possible non-ALPR Flock product.

Flock license plate readers

Historical system and August 2026 cancellation

Surprise Police publicly described a deployment of 28 ALPR cameras before the August 2026 suspension. The department had used ALPR technology for more than two years.

A departmental audit identified an anomaly that prompted an investigation into possible improper searches. Surprise suspended ALPR use on August 12, 2026, notified Flock of the contract cancellation on August 13, and publicly discussed the cancellation on August 17.

On August 26, 2026, Surprise announced that the officer under review had been cleared. The apparent repeated searches were attributed to a technical or browser-bookmark issue rather than established officer misconduct.

This matter should not be reported as a confirmed incident of intentional ALPR misuse.

Source: FOX 10 Phoenix reporting on the investigation and its outcome, included in the source list below.

Historical access, audits, retention, and sharing

At the September 16, 2025 City Council work session, Surprise officials described how the then-operating Flock ALPR system was accessed and monitored. According to the approved meeting minutes, officers, detectives, and analysts could use the system with differing access levels. Users were required to enter a reason for a search, and officials described search reporting, monitoring, and the ability to initiate audits.

Officials also stated that Surprise participated in ALPR information sharing with other Arizona agencies. The meeting record does not establish which agencies had particular permissions, which searches were possible, or whether all Arizona agencies could access Surprise data.

The same meeting minutes described ALPR information as being stored for 30 days. This is a historical City statement from September 2025, not independently verified retention for every period of the program or the status of records after the August 2026 cancellation.

Council evidence: September 16, 2025 City Council work session, Flock ALPR Camera System Overview, including approved minutes. See the City CivicClerk source in Sources and evidence below.

Cancellation does not establish physical removal

ABC15 subsequently reported that cameras remained physically mounted after the ALPR contract was canceled. A visible camera does not establish that it remains powered, collecting plate data, connected to a vendor, or accessible to police.

Surprise’s exact final removal dates, contractual closeout terms, and post-cancellation data disposition have not been established from the sources currently registered on this page.

Source: ABC15 Arizona’s September 2026 follow-up, included below.

Separate mobile speed and license plate reader trailer

The June 4, 2024 City Council packet, Resolution 2024-91, describes a $15,839 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant intended to purchase a mobile police speed/license plate reader trailer. The City also authorized a $15,900 budget transfer to project G31062. The packet described speed enforcement and collecting license plate information for investigative leads as intended uses.

These figures represent a grant award and budget authorization, not two separate verified purchases or expenditures. The reviewed packet does not identify the trailer manufacturer or establish its purchase, deployment, current operation, or relationship to the fixed Flock ALPR system.

Council evidence: June 4, 2024 City Council agenda packet, Resolution 2024-91. See the City CivicClerk source in Sources and evidence below.

Crowdsourced camera observations

A Finding Flock snapshot checked by OWVAZ on October 7, 2026 documented 67 ALPR locations geographically within Surprise: 64 marked as Flock Safety, two as Motorola Solutions, and one with an unknown manufacturer. The dataset reported a latest-change date of September 28, 2026.

These are volunteer-documented locations, not 67 verified Surprise Police cameras.

The City’s historical 28-camera deployment and the mapped 67 geographic observations measure different things. They must not be combined, subtracted, or treated as competing official inventories.

See the Finding Flock Surprise map for the underlying observations. Individual observations may change, and this page preserves the date and scope of the snapshot cited above.

Community and school cameras

Surprise Safe and voluntary camera access

The Surprise Safe program is described on a Flock Safety-hosted webpage. The vendor distinguishes registering a privately owned camera from voluntarily connecting a camera system for direct video access.

Camera registration

The vendor describes a registration option for residents and businesses. Participants provide information about their cameras and contact details so law enforcement can identify potential sources of footage when investigating an incident.

Registration alone does not give police automatic access to a camera’s live video. The owner may be contacted about footage relevant to an investigation and can decide whether to provide it.

Flock describes storing camera-registration information in its cloud infrastructure. The reviewed public material does not establish the number of Surprise registrants, current City access settings, or complete data-retention terms.

Optional live camera integration

Flock separately advertises live camera integration for participating businesses. Its Surprise Safe page describes giving authorized public-safety personnel access to integrated live and recorded video, including use with real-time crime operations.

This is a vendor-described service capability, not independent confirmation that Surprise currently has active integrations, how many private properties participate, or which feeds the Police Department can access.

The vendor page has displayed inconsistent advertised integration prices. Neither figure is established as a City contract price or verified cost to a participating Surprise business.

Status after the ALPR cancellation

Surprise’s August 2026 cancellation of its Flock automatic license plate reader agreement does not, by itself, establish whether the separate community-camera registration and integration offerings continued or ended.

The Flock-hosted Surprise Safe page remained publicly accessible during October 2026 research. Public accessibility is not proof of an active City contract, ongoing payments, operational feeds, or a functioning enrollment process.

Still unverified: The current City/Flock contractual relationship for non-ALPR services, participating camera and property counts, live-feed access permissions, audit logs, video retention, and the status of new registrations.

Primary source: Flock Safety, Surprise Safe Community Camera Registration and Integration, identified in Sources and evidence below.

Dysart Unified School District

Dysart Unified School District reported a partnership enabling Surprise Police to remotely access district campus cameras during potential emergencies.

This concerns school-district cameras and police access, not a count of cameras owned by the City of Surprise. The complete access agreements, platform details, retention practices, and access logs have not yet been verified here.

Dispatch, digital systems, and camera analytics

Mark43 implementation

Surprise Police identified Mark43 as its replacement computer-aided dispatch and records management (CAD/RMS) system. The FY2026 Adopted Budget described implementation as being in its final stages. The FY2027 Adopted Budget subsequently reported that Mark43 had been implemented as the department’s new records management system.

Mark43’s December 2025 vendor announcement also described the launch of its public-safety platform. Vendor announcements and City budget statements provide complementary evidence, but they should not be treated as proof of every integration or configuration.

Budget evidence: FY2026 Adopted Budget, PDF page 147; FY2027 Adopted Budget, PDF page 151. The Mark43 vendor announcement is separately identified in Sources and evidence.

The earlier September 19, 2023 Council packet, Resolution 2023-138, documents project P17120 for replacement of the Police CAD/RMS system. It describes a five-year project with $431,900 in first-year implementation/interface costs and $431,900 in first-year subscription costs, totaling $863,800 for year one. The packet lists $472,500 annually for years two through five and a not-to-exceed authorization of $3 million over five years.

The September 2023 materials also identify open API, analytics, RTCC, and camera integration as project requirements. However, the reviewed packet does not name Mark43 as the selected vendor. The later City budget and vendor announcements establish the connection to the implemented Mark43 platform. The authorization ceiling is not verified actual expenditure.

Council evidence: September 19, 2023 City Council agenda packet, project P17120 and Resolution 2023-138. See the City CivicClerk source in Sources and evidence below.

Real-Time Crime Center and ALPR integration

In the FY2026 budget, Surprise Police described continuing work to establish a Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) to improve initial response and investigations, including work with Dysart School District.

The FY2027 budget reports that the City successfully implemented an API integration between its CAD system and an ALPR platform, supporting real-time information sharing among the RTCC, dispatch, and field operations. The police department also reported expanded real-time intelligence, video feeds, and analytical support across Patrol, SWAT, K-9, Traffic, and special operations.

Budget evidence: FY2026 Adopted Budget, PDF page 147; FY2027 Adopted Budget, PDF pages 130 and 151.

These are City-reported capabilities. The reviewed pages do not identify both endpoints of the CAD-to-ALPR integration. We therefore cannot confirm a direct Mark43-to-Flock connection, determine every RTCC feed or vendor, or establish whether ALPR access remained active after the August 2026 Flock contract cancellation.

A future police substation has been described as a location for permanent RTCC facilities. The substation’s overall construction budget must not be described as the cost of the RTCC alone.

Historical camera and video analytics systems

BriefCam and Crimepoint

The FY2022 Adopted Budget, PDF page 151, reports that Surprise Police purchased two separate technologies:

• BriefCam: Video analytics software intended to help investigators find evidence within large video files.
• Crimepoint: A mobile surveillance-platform camera system used for criminal investigations.

These statements establish historical purchases, not current operation. The reviewed records do not establish current licenses, device counts, retention settings, or integration with the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC).

Advanced analytic camera system

The FY2025 Adopted Budget, PDF page 149, described a planned citywide advanced analytic camera-system migration.

The FY2026 Adopted Budget, PDF page 126, subsequently reported the migration as completed. The City described capabilities involving situational awareness, traffic analytics, and monitoring of public spaces.

The reviewed passages do not establish the vendor, complete camera inventory, exact analytics capabilities, retention settings, or a relationship to BriefCam, Crimepoint, Flock, or the RTCC.

Body-worn cameras and Axon

Documented Axon deployment

The FY2020 Final Budget Book, PDF page 151, describes officers using smartphones to manage Axon video and identifies Axon Citizen as a way for residents to submit photographs and videos.

The FY2023 Adopted Budget, PDF page 166, reports that Surprise Police obtained Axon Body 3 cameras for patrol officers and additional personnel. It also reports installation of Axon Signal in patrol vehicles to activate body-worn cameras when emergency lights were switched on.

These are City-reported historical deployments. The current number and models of cameras, complete vendor contracts, and digital-evidence retention settings remain unverified.

Body-camera contracting-authority history

The City’s budget books contain the following entries. The chart shows listed contracting authority, not verified spending. FY2027 combines body cameras, Tasers, and UAS equipment, so it is not directly comparable to the earlier authority entries.

Evidence: The PDF pages shown are from the respective FY2020–FY2027 final or adopted City budget books listed in Sources and evidence.

The FY2020 and FY2022–FY2026 amounts are labeled Body Cameras in the reviewed contracting-authority schedules.

The FY2027 amount is different: the City combined Body Cameras, Tasers & UAS Equipment into one $1,500,000 authority line. That figure must not be attributed entirely to body cameras or Axon.

Contract-awarding authority is not verified expenditure. The listed annual amounts also should not be added together as a confirmed spending total or as payments to one vendor.

Axon Draft One and Assistant trial

The FY2027 Adopted Budget, PDF page 151, reports that Surprise Police was implementing a trial of Axon Draft One and Axon Assistant.

The reported purposes included report-writing assistance, real-time language translation, and a policy-chat feature.

A City-reported trial is not proof of permanent deployment, full rollout, or a continuing contract.

What remains unverified

The available evidence does not establish:

• Whether BriefCam or Crimepoint remains operational.
• The current vendor and configuration of the advanced analytic camera system.
• The current Axon body-camera fleet size and contract costs.
• Current Evidence.com or successor digital-evidence service arrangements.
• The exact retention and sharing rules applied to each system.
• Whether the Axon Draft One and Assistant trial became permanent.

These gaps remain separate from the documented historical purchases, reported deployments, and contracting authority.

Police drones

Surprise’s FY2026 and FY2027 adopted budgets describe a public-safety Drone as First Responder (DFR) project, P34360, intended to supplement existing departmental drone teams. The City describes dispatch-launched drones equipped with high-resolution cameras, thermal imaging, and real-time video streaming to provide information before ground responders arrive.

This project has been described as a shared Police and Fire-Medical public-safety effort, rather than a confirmed police-only acquisition.

Drone as First Responder funding

Budget evidence: FY2026 Adopted Budget, PDF pages 194, 261, and 367; FY2027 Adopted Budget, PDF pages 200, 274, and 386.

The FY2026 project description lists the status as Funded for FY2026. The FY2027 description says Funded for FY2027 including Carry Forward.

These repeated project figures must not be added together as $1.38 million in spending. Capital budget entries and contract-awarding authority are different measures, and carry-forward funding can appear across fiscal years. Neither the funding schedules nor the project descriptions establish how much was actually spent.

Operational status remains unverified

The project descriptions explain how the DFR program is intended to work. They do not independently confirm that dispatch-launched DFR service has entered regular operation, identify the selected equipment vendor or aircraft models, or establish current launch sites, flight counts, or retention practices.

An established departmental drone team is not the same thing as a fully operational dispatch-launched DFR program.

Policy and oversight

Surprise Police policy OPS-59, Video Camera Technology Use, is an important source for understanding how the department describes the authorized use and handling of camera-related information.

The provisions summarized below come from the official four-page OPS-59 PDF, effective February 10, 2022, revised September 4, 2024, and last reviewed September 2024. OWVAZ retrieved and verified this publicly accessible policy document on October 8, 2026. This confirms the specific document’s availability, not whether a newer or superseding policy exists. These summaries are not an audit of current practices.

License plate reader access and sharing

The reviewed OPS-59 material describes circumstances in which ALPR information may be shared to assist another law-enforcement agency or under an information-sharing agreement. It also addresses outside-agency or custom hot lists, including supervisory approval for activation.

It describes verification requirements before enforcement action based on an ALPR alert.

These provisions do not establish which agencies actually received Surprise ALPR data, which data-sharing agreements were active, whether network-wide searches were enabled, or what access remained after the August 2026 Flock ALPR cancellation.

Traffic cameras and City security cameras

OPS-59 describes recordings at selected traffic-camera intersections as accessible for 14 days. This should not be generalized into a universal retention period for every Surprise camera, every ALPR record, or copies exported into an investigative evidence system.

For City security cameras, the reviewed policy indicates that most are recorded and that retention varies depending on camera type, location, and available storage.

The complete camera inventory, retention configuration for each system, and rules governing transferred footage remain unverified.

Privately shared cameras and the RTCC

The reviewed policy addresses police access to privately owned camera systems voluntarily shared with the City for official purposes. It also refers to Intelligence and Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) functions in handling investigative camera information.

These policy provisions are relevant to Surprise Safe, but OPS-59 and a Flock vendor webpage are different forms of evidence. Neither source alone establishes that specific private feeds are currently integrated, that access uses Flock software, or that any particular property is enrolled.

Facial-recognition provisions

The reviewed OPS-59 material includes provisions concerning facial-recognition use for described investigative or public-safety purposes.

A policy provision is not proof that Surprise owns, subscribes to, or currently operates a facial-recognition system. The reviewed materials do not establish a current Surprise-specific facial-recognition vendor, database, contract, search volume, or operating configuration.

The FY2025 RMIN Arizona report’s Surprise burglary example concerns geolocation and communications analysis. Its facial-recognition example concerns Apache Junction Police, not Surprise Police, and must not be attributed to Surprise.

Oversight questions that remain open

Further public-source verification is needed to establish:

• Whether the verified September 2024 OPS-59 revision has been superseded or remains the current effective version.
• The operational ALPR sharing configuration before and after cancellation.
• Actual retention settings, including exports and copies retained as evidence.
• Access logging, approval controls, and external-agency access.
• Whether a facial-recognition capability is actually in use.
• How private-camera integrations, if active, are governed in practice.

Primary source: Surprise Police Department, OPS-59: Video Camera Technology Use, listed under Police policy in Sources and evidence below. The public PowerDMS PDF was verified accessible on October 8, 2026; later revisions, if any, remain unverified.

What remains unknown

The currently reviewed source set does not fully establish:

• The complete historical and current ALPR device inventories, vendors, ownership, and operators.
• Whether every former Flock ALPR unit has been physically removed.
• The final status of historical ALPR data after contract cancellation.
• Whether any separate non-ALPR Flock products remain active under a different arrangement.
• Exact retention and sharing configurations for every system.
• The complete current video analytics, BriefCam, Crimepoint, Axon, and drone inventories.
• Exact integration endpoints linking dispatch, records, RTCC, and ALPR platforms.
• The number of private or school cameras accessible through each program.
• The complete current surveillance-related operating and capital expenditure totals.

Research status: This is an evidence-backed working page, not a complete, continuously updated agency inventory. Unverified details are identified as unresolved rather than silently inferred.