Verona council votes to decline renewal of Flock Safety contract after months of concern
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Summary
After extensive public comment and debate, the Verona Common Council voted to decline renewal of its Flock Safety vehicle‑identification camera contract, citing privacy, data‑sharing and vendor‑trust concerns; police leaders said the system aided multiple investigations, and council asked staff to evaluate alternatives.
The Verona Common Council voted to decline renewal of the city’s contract with Flock Safety after a prolonged public comment period and a round of council debate.
Residents urged the council not to renew the contract, arguing that Flock’s system creates warrantless, searchable location histories and centralizes sensitive vehicle‑tracking data outside municipal control. “This warrantless mass surveillance is an unconscionable violation of the Fourth Amendment rights of Verona’s residents and visitors,” said Scott Fuller during public comment. Multiple speakers cited recent congressional scrutiny and ongoing litigation challenging the company’s practices.
Police leadership defended the system’s local use. “We have 3 cameras under contract,” Chief Chester told the council, adding that data is stored for 30 days and that Verona has revoked automatic out‑of‑state and federal access. Lieutenant Fairman recounted cases in which Flock alerts aided local investigations, including a domestic‑violence suspect located shortly after an alert and a missing elderly driver located in another county.
Alder Swanson moved to decline renewal of the Flock contract; Alder Tucker Long seconded. Council members debated the balance between privacy risks and public safety benefits, discussing reported searches of local data and the company’s changing policies. After discussion, the motion passed; Alder Weiss recorded the only “no” vote.
Council members asked the police department and staff to research alternative systems that would give Verona greater control over data and to return with options for maintaining investigative capacity without the same privacy risks.
The council’s vote does not immediately deactivate cameras whose contracts expire in April and July 2026; staff said they would follow contract and legal timelines and seek replacement options.
