Several municipalities are experiencing challenges in ending their relationships with Flock Safety, the automated license plate reader company, even after formally requesting contract cancellations.
Plymouth, Minnesota’s city council voted in September to terminate its contract with Flock, but the company did not respond to the city’s cancellation request for over a month. During this period, the cameras remained operational on city property. Frustrated by the lack of communication, Police Chief Eric Fadden authorized staff to physically disconnect the power cords from the devices to ensure they stopped functioning and recording vehicle license plates.
Nearby Dayton, Minnesota, faces a different but equally problematic situation. When the city requested cancellation, Flock acknowledged the request and indicated removal would take up to 60 days. However, the company subsequently reconnected two cameras within city limits without authorization, directly contradicting instructions from local police not to proceed with the work order. The city’s government documented the incident, noting that Flock was informed on September 18 that the program was on hold and no work orders should be completed, yet the company proceeded anyway.
These occurrences are not isolated to Minnesota. A similar incident occurred in Illinois, where Flock refused to remove cameras from Elgin Community College after the institution sought to end its contract with the company.
Flock Safety did not provide a response when contacted for comment regarding these cancellation disputes.
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