Plymouth, Minnesota cut power to its cameras itself, and Dayton found Flock reinstalling gear without approval.
Plymouth, Minnesota voted to end its Flock Safety contract in September, and the company did not acknowledge the request for over a month. Police Chief Eric Fadden directed staff to pull the power cords so the cameras would stop recording plates. In Dayton, Minnesota, Flock told the city removal could take up to 60 days, then reconnected two cameras without authorization.
Dayton officials said on Facebook that they told Flock on September 18 that the city had paused the program and no work orders should be completed. The city reported that Flock did not follow that direction and put a camera back into service without approval. Elgin Community College in Illinois reported a similar dispute, and Flock did not respond to a request for comment.
For operators, the episodes show that contract termination does not automatically stop hardware or data collection. Teams ending a surveillance or sensor deployment should confirm power state, network access, and removal timelines in writing, then verify each site instead of relying on vendor confirmations.
More cities are canceling contracts with Flock and other automated license plate reader vendors, so expect procurement teams to add teeth to exit clauses. Watch for contract language that ties payment to confirmed hardware removal and requires vendor sign-off on each site.
What matters
- Plymouth, Minnesota waited over a month with no reply from Flock before cutting camera power.
- Vendors that stall on termination leave operators holding active data collection they no longer want.
- Watch whether cities add removal deadlines and hardware handback terms to their vendor contracts.
Why it matters
Watch whether cities add removal deadlines and hardware handback terms to their vendor contracts.
This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by The Verge. Source reference: https://www.theverge.com/tech/1024232/flock-ignoring-cancel-contracts.
Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.