Police chief unplugs Flock cameras after company ignores contract cancellation

Police departments must now verify camera removal directly when contracts are terminated, rather than relying on company compliance.

Plymouth City Council voted to end its contract with Flock Safety, a company providing automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, in September 2026. Despite the city formally notifying Flock of the cancellation and suspending user accounts the following day, the company failed to respond to demands for camera removal. Consequently, Plymouth Police Chief Eric Fadden physically disconnected the power cords to the Flock cameras, taking direct action to ensure their deactivation after the company's inaction. The city had communicated the cancellation through multiple channels, including a formal letter and email, after consulting with their City Attorney's Office, but received no substantive response from Flock Safety's corporate or legal departments.

The incident highlights a potential loophole or lack of accountability in vendor agreements for surveillance technology. Cities are increasingly adopting ALPR systems, and this event suggests that explicit protocols for contract termination and hardware removal are crucial. Without clear recourse, municipalities may face prolonged or continued operation of surveillance equipment against their stated will, raising privacy and security concerns. Future contracts will likely need to include more stringent clauses regarding deactivation timelines and penalties for non-compliance.

This situation underscores the growing tension between law enforcement's need for surveillance tools and public concerns over privacy and data usage. Flock Safety's alleged inaction could damage its reputation and lead other municipalities to scrutinize their vendor agreements more closely. It also signals a potential shift towards more direct municipal control over deployed technology, where physical intervention becomes a last resort when contractual obligations are ignored. Watch for other cities reviewing their Flock contracts and for potential changes in how such surveillance hardware is managed post-termination.