EDITION OF NOVEMBER 2, 2026
Flock cameras: cities struggle to enforce contract terminations
According to The Verge, several local authorities are having difficulty getting Flock cameras removed after terminating their contracts. In Plymouth, police disconnected the equipment. In Dayton, cameras were reconnected without authorization despite an explicit instruction from the city.
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Control over surveillance cameras also matters when it is time to shut them down. The cases of Plymouth and Dayton, reported by The Verge, show municipal decisions proving difficult to enforce on the ground. Flock says it is working to remove Plymouth's equipment, though completion has not been established.
Terminating a surveillance contract does not guarantee the immediate removal of equipment. In an article updated on November 1, The Verge describes difficulties several local authorities have encountered with Flock Safety. The reported cases involve cameras remaining in place after a termination request, as well as cameras being reactivated despite local instructions to the contrary.
In Plymouth, Minnesota, the city council voted in September to end its contract with Flock. According to The Verge, the cameras remained installed for more than a month, and the city received no acknowledgment of its request. Police Chief Eric Fadden eventually asked his teams to disconnect the power cables to ensure the devices were no longer operating or recording license plates.
In Dayton, also in Minnesota, Flock did acknowledge the city's request and said removing the equipment could take up to 60 days. However, the problem described goes beyond the removal timeline: the company reconnected cameras without authorization, even though local police had expressly requested that the maintenance work not be performed.
In a statement reproduced by The Verge, the city says police were informed of a maintenance order on September 17, 2026. The city notified Flock on September 18, 2026, that the program was suspended and that no work should be carried out. According to the statement, that instruction was disregarded and a camera was reactivated without authorization.
Flock spokesperson Andrew Smith tells The Verge that the company respects Plymouth's decision and is working with the city to remove the cameras. This response establishes the company's position; it does not confirm that removal is complete. The outlet also reports an earlier case at Elgin Community College in Illinois following a termination request.
These cases raise a question of operational control: how can a local authority ensure that a contractual decision actually results in the service being shut down? The issue appears to concern both compliance with instructions and the physical removal of equipment. However, the reported information does not establish how many customers face these difficulties or whether they are characteristic of all Flock contracts.