Police chief unplugs license plate cameras after company ignores cancellation

A Minnesota police chief had staff unplug the city's license plate cameras after the maker, Flock Safety, did not answer a cancellation notice. The City Council in Plymouth voted on Sept. 22 to stop using the cameras. A week later, they were still a question mark for the city.

What happened

The city suspended its Flock accounts on Sept. 23 and told the company. After talking with the city attorney, it sent a formal cancellation letter by US Mail and email. Police chief Fadden said Flock's corporate and legal teams never replied. Only the local representative made contact. After more than a week, he told staff to pull the power cords so the cameras could not record plates.

Dayton, about 10 miles north, also paused its program and disabled two devices. Police there told Flock not to replace those cameras. The company replaced them anyway.

Why it matters

Flock has more than 300,000 cameras across the country. They do more than read plates. The system uses AI to spot cars by stickers, paint color, and make and model. Critics point to privacy worries, including officers arrested for misusing the system, and reports of drivers stopped because software called their travel history suspicious.

The article says Flock has stayed silent on demands to remove its cameras. It is not clear whether the company will respond to Plymouth. Residents elsewhere can ask their city council what data is kept and who can see it.