4 more Mass. towns stop using or pause use of Flock cameras

Following pushback from residents, three more Massachusetts towns have ended their contracts with Flock Safety, while another has suspended use of the company’s automated license plate reader cameras. 

Abington will remove its Flock cameras after terminating its contract with the company, Police Chief John Bonney announced Monday during the “Town Manager’s Corner.” 

Bonney said he met with members of his department and learned that officers were aware of widespread community concerns about the technology. 

Over the past several months, communities across Massachusetts have been reconsidering their relationships with Flock Safety amid growing opposition from residents. Critics say the cameras violate residents’ privacy and have pointed to cases in which law enforcement officers have allegedly misused the system to track people for personal reasons. 

While recognizing the technology’s benefits, members of the Abington Police Department also acknowledged that keeping the cameras may not be worth the cost if the community is strongly opposed to their use, Bonney said. 

“They understand that being a successful police department is not simply about having the most tools or the newest technology. It’s about maintaining the trust and confidence of the people we serve,” Bonney said. 

Bonney also noted reports of law enforcement officers allegedly misusing Flock to stalk domestic partners. 

In the latest Massachusetts case, a Stow police officer resigned after being accused of using Flock and other police databases to track someone he knew. The Stow Police Department ended its relationship with Flock after police said an investigation revealed the officers’ misuse. 

“I applaud every single chief that has taken action and every sheriff that has taken swift and appropriate corrective measures against officers abusing this technology,” Bonney said. 

Ayer also terminated its contract with Flock Safety. At a Monday meeting, the Select Board unanimously voted to immediately disable and remove all Flock cameras and terminate the town’s contract, following concerns raised by residents, town officials said in a press release. 

Ayer Police Chief Brian Gill has communicated with the company to begin the process of decommissioning and removing the cameras, officials said. 

Groton similarly announced Monday that it was terminating its Flock contract after several weeks of internal review, which was intended to reflect the “Town’s commitment to getting this issue right rather than rushing it,” the Groton Police Department said in a statement on Facebook. 

“This isn’t a step away from public safety, and it isn’t a step away from supporting our Police Department,” Town Manager Mark Haddad said. “It’s a decision to slow down, do this right, and come back to Town Meeting with a solution that the community can have real confidence in.”

Southbridge, meanwhile, announced Monday that it was suspending use of its Flock cameras. 

The cameras were installed earlier this year, but had not been used by Southbridge officers for investigative or enforcement purposes, the police department said in a statement shared on Facebook. 

“We have heard the concerns raised by members of our community,” the statement says, “and we believe the responsible approach is to take a step back and allow for greater public understanding and discussion regarding the technology, its safeguards, data retention, access, security, privacy protections and appropriate oversight.” 

Until those issues are addressed and “appropriate statewide guardrails are established,” the department said it will not continue implementation of Flock or similar ALPR technology. 

“For many years, we have worked hard to build strong relationships and establish trust with the people we serve,” Southbridge police said. “That trust is one of our department’s most important assets, and we are not willing to jeopardize the good work that has been done over the years because of any one piece of technology.” 

Abington, Ayer, Groton, and Southbridge join a growing list of Massachusetts communities debating Flock. Just last week, five towns — East Bridgewater, Grafton, Auburn, Bellingham, and Douglas — announced they were discontinuing use of the ALPR cameras. 

Over the weekend, the Easton Police Department also announced that it would end its Flock contract at the end of the year. Easton currently has two Flock cameras. 

Flock Safety did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.