Documents Show CCSD Police Looked at Expanding License-Plate Cameras, and the ACLU Wants Trustees to Weigh In

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

On September 29, 2026, FOX5 Investigates reporter Jaclyn Schultz reported that the station had obtained dozens of pages of documents about CCSD Police and surveillance technology. The records show the department looked at going further than it already had with camera tools.

Here is what the documents include, based on FOX5's reporting. First, there were quotes for automated license plate reader equipment. FOX5 did not report a vendor, a camera count, or a price for those quotes. Second, there was a request by former CCSD Police Chief Mike Blackeye for access to images from Lowe's cameras, tied to what was described as a nationwide initiative. Third, the records point to at least one other major school district in the U.S. that uses Flock cameras. FOX5 did not name that district.

Some background on the current setup. CCSD Police have used Flock cameras since August 2024, and they got that access through the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The district did not build its own network. It tapped into one that already existed. In August 2026, a memo from new CCSD Police Chief Jeff Clark about how the cameras would be used became public. Soon after, the department paused its use of Flock. On August 28, the district said it would "balance the need for privacy with the need to respond quickly to serious crimes." It also said, "CCSD will be fully transparent with the community about the use of Flock System cameras."

Chief Clark told FOX5 that he chose to put Flock on hold. He also described the limits in his general order. Under that order, only a small number of authorized users could search the system, and only for cases they were assigned. Use was limited to felonies, firearms, narcotics, and child endangerment cases. He described the policy as very restrictive, with a limited number of users and very robust oversight.

"When it comes to the safety of these kids, I will use every tool at my disposal to ensure their safety," Clark told FOX5.

The ACLU of Nevada sees it differently. On Wednesday, September 23, the group sent a letter to the Board of School Trustees. KTNV reported that the letter asks the board to "agendize this matter and provide an opportunity for public comment before CCSDPD continues any use of Flock or other ALPR systems." ACLU of Nevada Executive Director Athar Haseebullah wrote that it would be "reckless" to let school police decide on their own whether to adopt this kind of technology. He added, "It would be a dereliction of your responsibilities to pretend as if this issue does not exist."

Roadside security camera mounted on a pole against a blue sky, similar to license plate reader cameras used along Las Vegas area streets

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Start with how we live here. Clark County is a driving county. Most of us drive to work, to the grocery store, to practice, and to pick up our kids. License plate reader cameras record the plate, the time, and the place of cars that pass by. Put enough of those records together, and you get a picture of where a car goes during the day.

According to Haseebullah, more than 200 Flock cameras have already been placed across the Las Vegas community. That is the network school police were able to search through Metro. The cameras are not only near schools. They are on roads used by everyone, including families who have no kids in CCSD at all.

For many parents, the first reaction is about safety. Nobody wants a school threat to go unsolved, and nobody wants a missing child case to move slowly. Chief Clark's point is that a tool that can find a car quickly can matter in a serious case. His general order was written around the kinds of cases where speed can count: guns, drugs, felonies, and kids in danger.

For other parents, the first reaction is about limits. Haseebullah put the worry in plain terms to FOX5: "If you're a parent of a 17-year-old girl in the Clark County School District who drives her vehicle to school, do you really want a Clark County School District police officer to track her movement all throughout the day?" In KTNV's report, he wrote that CCSD's ability to search this kind of data "raises serious concerns about the tracking of students and families."

Both of those reactions come from caring about kids. That is what makes this a hard question, and it is why the process matters so much. When a policy is set in a public meeting, parents can hear the reasons, ask questions, and speak up. When it is set in an internal memo, people often find out after the fact. The ACLU's letter is, at its core, a request to move this decision into a public room.

There is also a simple trust question for the district. CCSD has had a busy few months with audits and public questions about spending. How the board handles a sensitive topic like this can shape how families feel about the district's openness in general. A clear, public policy, whatever it says, tends to build more trust than a quiet one.

Background and History

Flock Safety is a private company that sells automated license plate reader cameras, often called ALPR. Police agencies, cities, businesses, and homeowner associations buy them. The cameras are usually mounted on poles near roads or neighborhood entrances. They capture plate numbers and vehicle details, and that information goes into a searchable system.

What turns single cameras into a network is sharing. An agency that owns or uses cameras can share access with other agencies. That is how a school police department can search cameras it did not buy and does not maintain. In CCSD's case, the access came through Metro.

Metro, for its part, posts information about its Flock program online, according to FOX5. That includes how many cameras it has, periodic search numbers, its usage policies, and the guardrails it follows. That kind of public reporting is one model trustees could look at if they decide to write rules for the school police.

The debate over these cameras is not only local. Tommy Burns, a former Henderson Police Chief who now runs the consulting firm Burns and Associates, told FOX5 that the name itself has become loaded. "Right now we have a negative connotation because we call them Flock instead of just cameras," he said. His point is that plate readers are a kind of camera that many agencies already use, and that the brand name has become a lightning rod.

Flock Safety has also weighed in. The company told KTNV it "strongly supports clear legislation establishing guardrails for license plate reader use." It added that public safety, privacy, and Fourth Amendment rights can and should coexist.

This is also a follow-up to a story we covered at the end of August, when the pause first became public. What is new this week is the paper trail. The documents show the department was looking at more tools, not fewer, before the pause. And the ACLU's letter shifts the spotlight from the police chief to the elected board.

Two surveillance cameras on a pole with desert mountains in the background, a scene similar to roads across the Las Vegas valley

What Happens Next

Right now, CCSD Police use of Flock is on hold. Chief Clark has not given a public timeline for when his review will end, based on FOX5's reporting. As of this writing, no Board of School Trustees agenda item on Flock has been announced. That could change, and the ACLU's letter is designed to push it forward.

If trustees do take it up, there are a few paths they could consider. They could hold a discussion item with public comment and no vote. They could ask the police department to bring back a written policy for review. They could set rules on who can search, what cases qualify, and how searches are reported to the public, similar to what Metro posts online. Or they could decide the school police should not use the system at all. None of these outcomes has been proposed on a board agenda yet. They are simply the kinds of options a board has on a policy question like this.

The bigger stage is Carson City. According to FOX5, Nevada lawmakers from both parties want guardrails on Flock cameras in the next legislative session. The ACLU of Nevada says it is working with a lawmaker on a bill to ban the technology, and it has called on the 2027 Legislature to ban ALPR surveillance programs. Flock, as noted above, says it supports clear rules. So a statewide debate is likely coming, and what CCSD does in the meantime could become an example that lawmakers point to, one way or the other.

If the topic does reach a public meeting, expect a handful of practical questions to come up. Who at the school police department can run a search, and how is each search logged? What counts as a qualifying case, and who checks that the rule was followed? How long can search results be kept, and are they shared with anyone else? Will the district publish regular numbers, the way Metro does? And what exactly did the department want the license plate reader quotes and the Lowe's camera access for? Those are not trick questions. They are the normal questions any board asks about a powerful tool, and clear answers help people on both sides of the debate.

It is also worth remembering what the documents do and do not show. Based on FOX5's reporting, they show interest and requests. They do not show that new cameras were bought or that the Lowe's access was ever granted. Nobody has publicly accused school police of misusing a search. The open question is about scope and process, and that is exactly the kind of question an elected board is set up to answer.

Man speaking at a podium during a public meeting, the kind of public comment setting the ACLU asked CCSD trustees to hold

For now, the things to watch are simple. Watch for a CCSD board agenda that lists Flock or license plate readers. Watch for any update from Chief Clark on his review. And watch for bill drafts ahead of the 2027 session.

Ryan's Take

I help families buy and sell homes all over the valley, from Summerlin to Henderson to the southwest. When parents shop for a home, school questions come up fast. Most of those questions are about test scores and commute times. But more and more, I hear questions about safety, and about how much of daily life is recorded. Neighborhood cameras at HOA gates are a common topic. This story is that same conversation, just bigger.

I am not going to tell you which side is right. I can see why a police chief wants every tool for a serious case involving kids. I can also see why a parent would want to know exactly who can look up where the family car went on a Tuesday. What I do think is healthy for any community is that decisions like this get made out loud, with clear rules that people can read. Whatever the board decides, a written, public policy is better for families than finding out from a memo or a news report. Clear rules are a sign of a well run district, and that matters to people choosing where to live.

Empty parking lot with a fence and a truck in the background, similar to a high school student parking area

What You Can Do

If you have an opinion on this, the Board of School Trustees is the place to share it. Check the CCSD website for upcoming board meeting agendas, and look for items about school police, Flock, or license plate readers. Board meetings include time for public comment, and you can also email or call the trustee who represents your area. Trustees hear from people with strong views on both sides, so a calm, specific comment goes a long way.

It also helps to read the rules that already exist. Metro posts information about its Flock program online, including its policies and search numbers. Reading that gives you a baseline for what good reporting could look like. If your HOA has cameras at the gate, ask your board who can access the footage, how long it is kept, and whether it is shared with any police agency. Those are fair questions, and a good HOA board should be able to answer them.

Finally, keep an eye on the 2027 Nevada legislative session. If a bill on license plate readers moves forward, there will be hearings and chances to comment. Your state senator and assembly member are the right people to contact.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime.

Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com