2 more Mass. towns join growing list of communities ending use of Flock

Two more Massachusetts communities are cutting ties with Flock Safety, adding East Bridgewater and Grafton to a growing list of cities and towns reconsidering the use of the company’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology. 

The East Bridgewater and Grafton police departments announced Friday that they would discontinue using Flock cameras, citing concerns raised by residents. 

Grafton Police Chief Neil Minardi also cited “vandalism and theft involving these devices” in a brief statement shared on Facebook.  

The East Bridgewater Police Department will end its contract with Flock and remove the one camera that has been installed in town, Police Chief Michael Jenkins said in a statement shared on Facebook Friday. 

The East Bridgewater department had planned to install four cameras, but the system had not become fully operational when Jenkins paused the project for further review and public discussion. 

Earlier this month, Jenkins, along with Deputy Chief Michael McLaughlin and the Select Board, fielded questions and concerns from residents during an Aug. 10 public forum about the town’s planned implementation of ALPR technology. 

Many residents took the opportunity to express their opposition to the technology at the forum.

“Technology is really problematic when it comes to law enforcement,” resident Katie McMullen said to Jenkins. “You feel like you’ve looked at every angle, but you’re looking at it through the lens of law enforcement.”

Resident Peggy Steele cited an internal audit in Savannah, Georgia, that found 127 “inappropriate” Flock searches earlier this month.

“These include, but are not limited to, misuse of the system by bad actors, the threat of government overreach, and the vulnerability of digital systems to leaks and data breaches,” Steele said.

Jenkins said the East Bridgewater Police Department initially believed ALPR technology could provide an additional investigative tool.

But, after hearing from residents and considering recent developments around the technology, he said the department determined that continuing with the system was “not the right decision” for the town. 

“I want it to be clear that this decision should not be interpreted as a statement that ALPR technology has no legitimate law enforcement value. It can be a useful investigative tool when properly governed,” Jenkins said. “Rather, this decision reflects our determination that, at this time, the concerns surrounding this particular program and the current circumstances outweigh the benefits we anticipated receiving from it.” 

Jenkins emphasized the importance of community trust in his Friday announcement, noting he has served the East Bridgewater community for nearly 30 years.

“As Chief, I will always place the safety, privacy, constitutional rights, and confidence of the people of East Bridgewater at the center of our decisions … While we may not always agree on every issue, I believe that an open and respectful dialogue makes our community stronger,” Jenkins said.  

The decisions in East Bridgewater and Grafton come as other Massachusetts communities reconsider their use of Flock cameras. 

Hopkinton announced Thursday it is ending its contract with Flock Safety following a legal review of the agreement.

The announcement came just hours after the Lynn Police Department revealed that an internal audit of its Flock Safety license plate reader system exposed what officials described as a “concerning pattern in some searches.” Two officers were subsequently placed on paid administrative leave, and police initiated an investigation into the matter.

Rather than suspending the system, the Lynn Police Department restricted access strictly to supervisory staff ranked lieutenant or above while reviewing its policy on license plate readers.

In New Bedford, police temporarily suspended use of the cameras after an investigation found alleged misuse of the system by an officer earlier this summer.

Officer Emily Pacheco has been accused of using the New Bedford department’s Flock cameras to track her ex-girlfriend. A protective order against Pacheco was extended for six months earlier in August.

At a Thursday New Bedford City Council meeting, Councilor Brian Gomes introduced a motion calling for the Committee on Public Safety & Neighborhoods to meet with Police Chief Jason Thody, a representative from the mayor’s office, and a representative from Flock Safety to discuss policies and procedures regarding “strengthening community trust around the use of these cameras.” 

The meeting ended abruptly after a heated exchange between the crowd and Gomes, according to video from WCVB.

“I’m really sorry tonight that this body and the American way could not — I could not stand up as a councilor and just say what I had to say without the retaliation that has happened here tonight,” Gomes said.

A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday to address the matter further.