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Plymouth police chief unplugs Flock cameras after city ends contract
Tom's Hardware, citing The Drive: Plymouth, Minn., Police Chief Eric Fadden said staff disconnected Flock license-plate cameras after the company did not reply to a September contract cancellation.
- New headline Was: “Police chief unplugs Flock cameras after company ignores contract cancellation”
- Our desk filed its story
- tomshardware.com is now reporting this
Plymouth, Minnesota, Police Chief Eric Fadden ordered staff to unplug Flock Safety automated license-plate readers after the company did not respond to the city's cancellation of its contract, Tom's Hardware reported Sunday, citing The Drive1.
The Plymouth City Council voted unanimously in September 2026 to end the Flock contract, Tom's Hardware said1. Fadden told The Drive the city suspended Plymouth user accounts on the morning of Sept. 23, notified Flock of the vote, and later sent a formal cancellation by U.S. mail and email after consulting the city attorney1.
Fadden said the city heard no reply from Flock Safety's corporate or legal offices, aside from some contact with a local representative1. "After hearing nothing for more than a week, I directed our staff to disconnect the power cords from the cameras," he told The Drive1.
Tom's Hardware said Flock cameras are marketed as plate readers but also use AI to identify vehicles by markings, color, make and model, with more than 300,000 units installed nationwide1. The report said critics have pressed councils to remove the cameras over privacy concerns1.
The same account said Dayton, Minnesota, about 10 miles north of Plymouth, paused its Flock program and disabled two devices, and that Flock replaced cameras there despite being told not to proceed1. Tom's Hardware said Flock had not commented in the reporting it summarized1.
