Indianapolis Flock and License Plate Reader Timeline

IMPD has run license plate readers since at least 2021, and the public record shows three approvals in a row, each bigger than the last: Vigilant Solutions (up to $500,000, 2021), Flock (up to $1.5M, 2022), and Flock again (up to $6M over four years, 2024). The 2024 contract was approved unanimously by the Information Technology Board with no discussion recorded in the minutes, and it covers more than plate readers: "footage on devices provided by IMPD, participating businesses and Flock Group."

The 2027 budget mentions plate readers once and gives no dollar figure. What IMPD has actually paid Flock, how many cameras it runs, and what the Board of Public Health and Safety was told in November 2024 are not in any public document found so far. The records requests below ask for those.

Timeline

Newest first. Each row links to the document it comes from.

Money

Every figure in the record is a ceiling, not spending. Up to $8.3M in plate reader and video contracts has been authorized since 2021; what was actually paid is unknown.

In the 2027 budget, a subscription like Flock most likely sits in IMPD's "Other Services and Charges": $51.2M, up $11.2M from 2026. Hardware bought outright would be "Capital": $16.7M, up $4.8M. The book doesn't itemize either. IMPD's federal grant funding also rises from $9.8M to $24.4M with no explanation. See the budget explorer.

The Marion County Auditor pays every city and county bill, so the Auditor holds the actual payment history to Flock.

Open questions

• How much has the city actually paid Flock, Vigilant and related vendors each year since 2021?
• What did the Board of Public Health and Safety hear and vote on November 6, 2024? Its minutes aren't posted online.
• How many cameras does IMPD operate or access? The plan said about 400; Axios counts 649 in Marion County, which may include private, business and neighboring-agency cameras.
• Which "participating businesses" share camera feeds with IMPD through Flock, and under what agreements?
• Does the contract include gunshot detection, drones or other add-ons, and have any been turned on?
• Does Business and Neighborhood Services still use plate readers for code enforcement, and under what policy?
• Who can search the data, how long is it kept, and which outside agencies (including federal) can query it? IMPD says a retention change from 30 to 7 days is coming.
• Is any of IMPD's new $24.4M in federal grants tied to surveillance technology?
• When does the current contract end or renew? A four-year term signed around late 2024 or early 2025 would run to about 2028-29.

Records requests

Template requests under Indiana's Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14-3). Anyone can use them. Three short requests to three offices get answered faster than one long one, and a denial of one part doesn't hold up the rest. Each asks for specific named documents and a date range, which Indiana law calls "reasonable particularity." These are templates, not legal advice.

Request 1: IMPD (contracts, policy, camera list)

[Date]

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
Office of the Chief, Legal Unit

Re: Public records request under the Access to Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3

I request electronic copies of the following records:

1. The agreement between the City of Indianapolis or IMPD and Flock Group, Inc. approved by Information Technology Board Resolution 24-63 on November 19, 2024, including all exhibits, order forms, statements of work, pricing schedules and amendments.
2. The agreement with Flock Systems approved by IT Board Resolution 22-08 on April 26, 2022, with all exhibits and amendments.
3. The agreement with Vigilant Solutions LLC amended by IT Board Resolution 21-17 on June 29, 2021, with all exhibits and amendments.
4. Any IMPD general order, policy or procedure governing automated license plate readers in effect at any time from January 1, 2022 to the present, including drafts submitted to the General Orders Board in 2026.
5. Records sufficient to show the number and locations of license plate reader cameras IMPD owns, leases or can access through Flock, including cameras owned by businesses or other agencies, as of the date of this request.
6. Records sufficient to show which outside agencies have been granted access to IMPD's Flock data, from January 1, 2022 to the present.
7. Any presentation or written materials IMPD provided to the Board of Public Health and Safety or the Information Technology Board about Flock in October and November 2024.

If any part of this request is denied, please cite the specific exemption and release the remaining parts. I prefer electronic copies by email. If fees will exceed $25, please tell me before copying.

[Name]
[Address]
[Phone] / [Email]

Request 2: Marion County Auditor (payments)

[Date]

Marion County Auditor
200 E. Washington St.

Re: Public records request under IC 5-14-3

I request records sufficient to show all payments made by the City of Indianapolis or Marion County to the following vendors from January 1, 2021 to the present, including date, amount, paying department and fund, and invoice or purchase order number:

1. Flock Group, Inc. (also Flock Systems, Flock Safety)
2. Vigilant Solutions LLC (or Motorola Solutions for Vigilant products)
3. Iris Intel Inc.

A vendor payment report or accounts payable export is fine. I prefer an electronic spreadsheet. If fees will exceed $25, please tell me before copying.

[Name, address, phone, email]

Request 3: Office of Public Health and Safety (board records)

[Date]

Office of Public Health and Safety
Attn: Secretary, Board of Public Health and Safety

Re: Public records request under IC 5-14-3

I request electronic copies of the following records of the Board of Public Health and Safety:

1. The agenda, minutes, and any board packet or resolution for the November 6, 2024 meeting, including the item approving a contract with Flock Group, Inc.
2. Any audio or video recording of that meeting.
3. The agenda and minutes of any other meeting from January 1, 2022 to the present at which a contract with Flock Group, Flock Systems or Vigilant Solutions was considered.

I prefer electronic copies. If fees will exceed $25, please tell me before copying.

[Name, address, phone, email]

How the records process works

Sending. Submit each request in writing so there's a dated record: the city's Request a Public Record page, or email or mail to each office. Filing through MuckRock keeps the whole exchange public and tracks deadlines for you. Keep a copy of every message and date.

What the law requires (indy.gov, state handbook):

• The office must respond to a written request within 7 days. No response in 7 days counts as a denial.
• After that, records must be produced within a "reasonable time." Contracts and payment reports should be quick; policies and camera lists may take longer or be partly withheld as investigatory records.
• A written denial must cite the law it relies on and name the official responsible.
• City-county copies cost 4 cents a page, with no charge for labor or searching.

If they stall or deny.

1. Reply in writing asking for a date and, for any withheld part, the specific exemption.
2. Call the city-county public access counselor at 317-327-4055 (Office of Corporation Counsel).
3. File a formal complaint with the state Public Access Counselor (317-234-0906) within 30 days of the denial.

Sources

• Information Technology Board meeting packets, 2021-2026
• 2027 Introduced Budget
• Mirror Indy: IMPD contract for license plate readers also allows for gunshot detection tech
• Axios: IMPD is in the middle of the nationwide Flock camera debate
• IPM: Indiana sees surge of cities, counties ending Flock camera contracts
• indy.gov: Request a Public Record and Access to Public Records Act