Quincy ends Flock cameras, switches to different license plate reader system

Quincy has deactivated its Flock Safety cameras and will switch to a different automated license plate reader system, city officials announced Saturday. 

The change is intended to address residents’ privacy concerns, Mayor Tom Koch and Police Chief Mark Kennedy said in a press release. 

The announcement comes after residents raised concerns about privacy rights and data sharing and security at an Oct. 19 Quincy City Council meeting. The council voted 8-1 on a resolution urging Koch and Kennedy to remove Flock cameras. 

Quincy has 50 Flock cameras, Kennedy said. That number significantly exceeds the scale seen in other Massachusetts communities using the system — the majority of which have reported having fewer than 10 active cameras.

Quincy police will transition to automated license plate reader cameras manufactured by Axis Communications, city officials said. The system will be paired with OdinEye software, which describes itself as an “AI-driven threat intelligence” platform built for detecting cybersecurity risks and leaked data.

The new system will allow the Quincy Police Department to “maintain sole ownership” of its data, officials said. The department also has a policy requiring all data to be deleted within 14 days, which will remain in effect after the city switches to using cameras from Axis, city officials said.

“The Chief has done extraordinary work listening to our community, engaging in conversations, making appropriate adjustments along the way, and building a tremendous level of trust within the community,” Koch said in the release. “This transition to a system owned and operated strictly by the QPD is another example of building on that trust.”

Koch and Kennedy said the cameras are not used for surveillance and capture images only of license plates, which officials said are searched only for “valid police investigations.” 

“We can acknowledge legitimate privacy concerns without assuming that every potential misuse is an actual misuse,” Kennedy said. “We can insist on accountability without losing sight of the important work our officers perform. And we can respond to public concerns without abandoning our responsibility to provide investigators with effective tools to solve crimes and protect the community.”

Flock cameras have faced growing scrutiny across Massachusetts, with dozens of municipalities ending their contracts with the company. Recently, the New Bedford City Council voted Thursday to ban its Flock cameras. The city’s contract is set to expire Nov. 12. 

The New Bedford vote came the same day officials announced two officers had been fired after an investigation found they misused the system for personal reasons. One of the officers had previously been the subject of a protective order after being accused of using the system to track her ex-girlfriend.