Hi neighbors,
Yesterday, we dug into the shocking 9News Denver report showing that Flock Safety misled the public about federal access to its camera network. Today, I want to explore another piece of this surveillance puzzle, one that might surprise you even more.
Eyes on Flock is a website that aggregates information from public Flock transparency portals, which represent a small fraction of all customers but tell a story worth highlighting. These records show the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, ranked as the 6th top agency with whom Flock data is shared.
That’s right. The same agency you probably associate with catching porch pirates and investigating mail fraud is now among the top users with access to Flock’s nationwide license plate surveillance system.
What Does the Postal Service Have to Do with License Plate Readers?
The USPIS is the oldest federal law enforcement agency, dating back to 1775. Its mission has traditionally been narrow: protect postal employees, safeguard the mail, and investigate crimes like mail theft, fraud, and contraband in packages.
So why is USPIS leaning so heavily on Flock Safety’s network of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras?
ALPRs capture a vehicle's make, model, color, license plate, time, location, and sometimes distinctive features like roof racks or bumper stickers. That’s not mail-related. That’s general surveillance.
While USPIS sometimes investigates crimes involving stolen or intercepted mail transported by car, the sheer number of agencies sharing their Flock data with USPIS points to a far broader use of this technology, indicating a potential evolution in their investigative methods far beyond traditional mail-centric inquiries.
This isn’t just mission creep; it’s a fundamental redefinition of what it means to be “postal police”.
From Stolen Packages to Immigration Raids
Recent reporting by The Washington Post and other outlets revealed that USPIS has gone even further: it has reportedly joined a DHS task force and is now a formal partner of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in immigration enforcement.
Evidence shows:
USPIS has reportedly handed over “mail covers” (photos of the outside of envelopes and packages), mail tracking information, and even IP addresses from online USPS accounts to DHS.
DHS was also reportedly granted access to “other surveillance systems”. Given USPIS’s high Flock usage, this vague category could include ALPR data.
On April 27, 2025, USPIS officers were reported to have joined an immigration raid at a Colorado nightclub where over 100 people were detained, an action far exceeding the scope of the agency's typical duties.
This is a stunning departure from the Postal Service’s historic role. Instead of focusing on mail crimes, USPIS resources are being used to support deportation efforts. Internal sources suggest the agency felt political pressure to cooperate to avoid drastic changes to the USPS overall.
Why This Matters for Privacy
Think about the implications. Every time you use the Postal Service—buy stamps, mail a package, or log into your USPS account—you leave “digital breadcrumbs”. Normally, that’s benign. But now those breadcrumbs can be turned over to federal immigration agents for purposes far beyond the intended service.
DHS has also reportedly pulled data from the IRS and Social Security Administration to build a “master database” on immigrants. The USPS, an agency people trust and rely on every day, is just the latest to be folded into that effort.
Congress Pushes Back
Members of Congress have reacted strongly :
In May, 43 lawmakers led by Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon and Kweisi Mfume sent a letter to postal leadership condemning the practice as “an improper use of USPIS personnel”.
They warned that diverting resources from mail theft and fraud to immigration raids undermines the agency’s critical mission.
They demanded termination of “any general access” to USPS data by DHS and called for a full briefing on the extent of the partnership.
But the damage to public trust may already be done. If people start to believe that using the mail could expose them, or their loved ones, to immigration enforcement, that could have a chilling effect on one of the most basic public services in America.
How Flock Fits Into the Picture
Flock Safety insists that customers “own their data” and that the company will "never share, sell, or access" data with third parties. But the reality, as shown by recent events, is different:
Local agencies can and do share their Flock access with federal partners. As highlighted yesterday, Flock has facilitated this data sharing relationship through a pilot program with federal agencies. Additionally, local police departments have been shown to share Flock password with federal agents and to perform backdoor searches for ICE and other agencies involved in immigration enforcement.
USPIS showing up as the 6th top agency given Flock access nationwide suggests this is not incidental, it appears to be a systematic application of the technology.
Flock only recently began automatically blocking searches for reasons related to "immigration". This reactive change is an implicit admission that the system was already being used for immigration enforcement despite the company’s stated policies.
The tension here is that while many local communities like Mountlake Terrace have policies against assisting federal immigration enforcement, a national network like Flock's allows for data to be accessed by different federal entities. This creates a de facto national surveillance network through data sharing agreements.
A Local Crossroads
The revelations about USPIS highlight a critical challenge for local communities. While local law enforcement may have policies that reflect community values, simply handing over data to a private company can bypass those protections. Once the data enters a national network, its use becomes far more difficult to control or monitor.
If the Postal Service, a universal public service, can be co-opted into immigration raids, what hope do we have that a private surveillance company will hold the line?
The truth is, we can’t.
The Bottom Line
The decision to adopt a technology like Flock isn’t just about solving crimes. It’s about whether a community wants to contribute to a sprawling, opaque surveillance network that now includes both federal and local agencies as active users.
It's about whether the personal data of community members ends up in a database shared with federal agencies without their consent.
It’s about whether immigrant neighbors feel safe using the mail or driving through town.
It’s about whether we can still say with confidence that our community is living up to its values.
The true cost of this system to our community is far higher than its financial price.
Dustin