Ocean Shores Flock camera removed, Axon cameras installed but not operating

Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 30, 2026

The Ocean Shores Police Department has heard the questions and concerns being expressed on social media regarding “Flock” cameras in our community.

“We appreciate the opportunity to provide accurate information and clarify the facts,” the department stated in a news release. “There has been a Flock camera located at the Coast Communications building in Ocean Shores. However, that camera is not owned, operated, or managed by the Ocean Shores Police Department. It is a Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office asset that was purchased and deployed by the Sheriff’s Office.”

The camera has been removed by the Sheriff’s Office.

“As for the City of Ocean Shores, we do not have any Flock Safety cameras within our jurisdiction.

What we do have are three Axon Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) pole-mounted cameras and one Axon Outpost camera, which were approved by the Ocean Shores City Council during the Dec. 9, 2025, Council meeting as part of the department’s broader Axon technology upgrade.”

That meeting included a presentation from an Axon representative explaining the technology, its capabilities, and answering questions from Council members. For anyone interested, that discussion begins at approximately 29 minutes and 36 seconds into the meeting recording.

At this time, the Axon cameras are not yet operational. While they have been installed, members of Ocean Shores’ administrative team have not yet completed the required training, and the system has not been activated.

Understanding the difference

Because Flock Safety and Axon ALPR systems are often discussed together, it’s important to understand that they are different products with different intended uses and management philosophies.

Flock Safety

Primarily designed as a dedicated license plate reader network, and built around a large nationwide camera network with broad information-sharing capabilities among participating agencies, focusing heavily on vehicle detection and investigative alerts.

Axon ALPR

Axon is part of the broader Axon public safety ecosystem that also includes body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, digital evidence management, and records integration, and designed to integrate ALPR data with other authorized law enforcement evidence while maintaining detailed audit logs, user permissions, and accountability.

With Axon, agencies control their own data and determine how information is retained and shared in accordance with Washington law and department policy.

The Outpost camera included in Ocean Shores’ system is not an ALPR camera. It is a live-view situational awareness camera and does not record video.

“The Ocean Shores Police Department is committed to being transparent with our community. Once our personnel have completed the required training and the system is ready for implementation, we will be in a much better position to explain exactly how our Axon ALPR system will operate, what safeguards are in place, and answer any additional questions or concerns members of the public may have,” the news release stated. “We look forward to continuing that conversation and providing additional information. As always, thank you for your continued engagement and support as we work to keep Ocean Shores safe while respecting the privacy and trust of our community.”