Multiple US Cities Terminate Contracts With Flock Safety

Local governments across the United States are terminating or delaying contracts with Flock Safety following concerns over mass surveillance and unauthorized data access. In North Carolina, the Asheville City Council voted 5-2 to remove 11 AI-powered license plate reader cameras and suspend all data sharing. Mayor Esther Manheimer proposed the move amid reports of law enforcement officers in nearby Charlotte and Greenville County being fired or charged for unauthorized use of the systems.

Similarly, the Davidson County Board of Commissioners in Tennessee voted unanimously to deactivate and remove 25 cameras. Commissioner Chris Elliott cited the potential for future abuse by subsequent elected officials as a primary driver for the decision. In Wisconsin, Sheboygan Police Chief Kurt Zempel and City Administrator Casey Bradley requested the termination of their contract after discovering company actions that undermined trust and violated contract terms. City staff have begun covering the 15 operational cameras to prevent further data collection.

While some jurisdictions are exiting the technology, others remain undecided. The Monterey County Board of Supervisors delayed a vote on a $2.8 million expansion that would have increased their network to 103 cameras. This delay follows the termination of a similar contract in Santa Cruz, where officials discovered that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had accessed license plate data without local knowledge.