US municipalities terminating Flock Safety contracts

Local governments in the United States are moving to terminate contracts with Flock Safety, a provider of automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology, citing legal, procedural, and privacy concerns.

In Knox County, Mayor Glenn Jacobs notified the company that a contract with the county sheriff is no longer valid. Jacobs argued that total expenditures exceeded the $100,000 threshold requiring County Commission approval, meaning the purchases lacked necessary review by elected officials. He also expressed concerns regarding transparency, noting that the technology functions differently than he initially understood.

In Sheboygan, city officials plan to ask the common council to terminate the police department’s contract after reports of actions by Flock Safety believed to be “inconsistent with the terms and expectations of the City’s contract.” While the police department noted that the technology helped solve serious criminal cases, the city is joining several other Wisconsin communities in cutting ties due to ongoing privacy concerns regarding how data is accessed and shared with other law enforcement agencies.