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City manager orders Flock cameras removed, data returned and deleted after contract termination; public presses for policy changes
Summary
City Manager Sarah Madari said the city terminated its contract with Flock and is demanding removal of ALPR cameras by Dec. 12, 2025, return of city/customer/anonymized data by Dec. 12 and deletion of city data copies by Dec. 17; public commenters pressed for guarantees about deletion, answers on potential data access by federal agencies, and a city ALPR policy to prevent future installations.
City Manager Sarah Madari announced during the Dec. 8 meeting that the City of Eugene has terminated its contract with Flock (the automated license plate reader vendor) and is seeking immediate removal of the cameras and related hardware.
Madari read the termination notice aloud and laid out specific deadlines: remove cameras and hardware no later than Dec. 12, 2025; cooperate with city staff to return city data, customer-generated data and anonymized data no later than Dec. 12, 2025; and, after returning city data, delete any remaining copies of city data and anonymized data no later than Dec. 17, 2025. The termination notice also directs the company to cooperate with city staff to determine and issue a prorated refund of advanced contract costs, with a request that refunds be provided by Dec. 17, 2025.
Public commenters largely welcomed the termination but urged the city to go further: several asked that the city require immediate physical removal of cameras (rather than covering them), demand proof of data deletion, and adopt a binding ALPR policy to prevent similar contracts in the future. Multiple speakers asked whether federal immigration authorities had accessed the data while Flock was operational and called for a full explanation.
Why it matters: Automated license plate readers collect vehicle-location metadata that residents and privacy advocates said poses risks to civil liberties and public trust. The termination notice gives the city a clear timeline to recover hardware, data and refunds, but public speakers and some councilors pressed for stronger assurances and clearer policy limits to avoid recurrence.
What the city said it will do: The termination notice directs Flock to remove hardware and return/delete data on the dates specified; the city manager said she had not received a response from the vendor by the time she spoke. Council members and public commenters urged a later policy work session or ordinance to restrict ALPR use.
Direct quote from the meeting: City Manager Sarah Madari read the termination requirements: "Remove the flock cameras. Remove all cameras and associated hardware no later than 12/12/2025. Return the City data... Delete the city data... no later than 12/17/2025. Refund advanced costs... and issue the applicable prorated refund no later than 12/17/2025."
