Cities Struggle to Cut Ties with Flock Safety

Plymouth's Frustrating Experience

This fall, Plymouth, Minnesota, took a significant step by voting to cancel its contract with Flock Safety, a company known for its automated license plate recognition systems. However, the city soon encountered unexpected challenges when Flock failed to acknowledge the termination.

For over a month, the surveillance cameras remained operational, causing concern among city officials. Police Chief Eric Fadden found the situation untenable. After a week of silence from the company, he decided to intervene personally.

“After hearing nothing for more than a week, I directed our staff to disconnect the power cords from the cameras in order to ensure that they are not functioning or recording plates,” Fadden stated.

This decisive action ensured that the cameras would no longer capture vehicle data, a move reflecting the rising frustrations with Flock's responsiveness.

Dayton's Complications

Meanwhile, about 20 miles away in Dayton, Minnesota, officials are facing their own troubles with Flock. Though the company acknowledged the request to remove its equipment, it indicated that the process would take up to 60 days.

In the meantime, Flock reactivated two cameras within Dayton city limits without proper authorization. This act was particularly troubling given that local police had expressly asked Flock not to proceed with the work order.

On September 17, 2026, the Police Department was made aware of a maintenance work order produced by Flock. The City notified Flock on September 18, 2026, that the program was on hold, and no work orders were to be completed. Unfortunately, the City’s direction was not followed, and the camera was placed back into service without authorization.

The Dayton city government chose to clarify the situation publicly via a Facebook post, highlighting the apparent disregard for local directives.

Flock’s Position

In response to these ongoing challenges, a spokesperson for Flock Safety, Andrew Smith, asserted the company’s commitment to its partnerships with municipalities. “We are proud of the impact our technology has had in Plymouth. We respect the city’s decision and are working with the customer to have the cameras removed,” he said.

Broader Trends

These incidents in Plymouth and Dayton are not isolated. Similar situations have arisen elsewhere, including at Elgin Community College in Illinois, where the institution experienced difficulty in terminating its Flock contract as cameras continued to operate despite efforts to cancel.

The experiences of these cities underline the complexities that municipalities face when dealing with technology firms. As more local governments aim to sever ties with Flock Safety, the need for effective communication and coordination between public entities and private companies is becoming increasingly apparent.

As cities navigate these challenges, the outcomes will likely influence future relationships between municipalities and private contractors in the tech industry.