Police chief unplugs Flock cameras after company ignores contract cancellation

Plymouth City Council unanimously voted to end its Flock agreement in September 2026, but the business unsuccessful to react to demands to eliminate its cameras installed about the city. According to The Drive, the city informed Flock immediately concerning the cancelation, but it unsuccessful to react equal following a week. Because of this, Plymouth Police Chief Eric Fadden was forced to obtain matters into the city’s hands and physically detached the cameras’ power cords to justify that they are non-functional.

“As you’re fine aware, the City Council voted to cease the use of Flock ALPRs at the Sept. 22 meeting. On the dawn of Sept. 23, we suspended all Plymouth person Flock accounts and notified Flock Safety of the Council’s decision. We followed up alongside a ceremonial letter of cancellation via US Mail and email following consulting alongside our City Attorney’s Office. We did not comprehend any answer from Flock Safety Corporate or Legal, another than several communication alongside our local representative,” Fadden told The Drive. “After hearing nothing for additional than a week, I directed our personnel to disconnect the power cords from the cameras in command to be certain that they are not functioning or record plates.”

Flock has been hit by multiple controversies in latest months, including the apprehension of officers for misusing the system and the mistaken “ambush” of a car reviewer by Plymouth City Police in Minnesota complete an administrative error made in California. There have equal been reports that constabulary have been pulling motorists complete since an AI algorithm deemed their journey former as “suspicious.” Dayton, another city in Minnesota located fair 10 miles north of Plymouth, has additionally paused its Flock program and impaired the two devices in the area. The Dayton constabulary became conscious that the business intended to substitute these cameras and told Flock not to continue alongside the activity order. However, it moved onward alongside the replacement anyway notwithstanding being instructed otherwise.

There are over 300,000 Flock cameras installed nationwide, alongside the network's general safety making it fairly productive at tracking vehicles. Although its cameras are marketed as automated licence dish readers (ALPRs), Flock’s scheme goes beyond study plates and uses AI to acknowledge vehicles using another markings akin stickers, coat color, and the vehicle's create and model. Because of these assorted issues, critics have been asking their city councils to eliminate the cameras citing privacy concerns. While Flock remains silent on the matter of demands for the elimination of its cameras, moves akin this would decrease its safety area during additionally costing labor, whereas fair keeping them in location apt expenses the business nothing.

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