Greenfield council approves Flock Safety consolidation after extended privacy and cost debate
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Summary
After extended public comment and council questions about data access and retention, the City of Greenfield voted to consolidate its camera and drone services into a 60-month contract with Flock Safety, expanding fixed cameras and adding dispatch and drone integration with a modest net annual cost increase.
The Greenfield City Council voted Jan. 13 to consolidate multiple camera and drone contracts into a single 60-month agreement with Flock Safety, approving an expanded system that staff said will preserve current infrastructure, add fixed cameras and integrate camera feeds with dispatch and drone platforms.
City staff told the council the consolidation would streamline contract administration and produce operational efficiencies. Staff said the city currently spends about $112,900 annually on the program and that the new agreement would cost about $136,900 a year — a net increase of roughly $24,000 — but that a vendor credit of $27,229.23 would reduce the first-year payment to $109,670.77. Staff also highlighted potential external funding, saying Greenfield could receive about $100,000 annually for three years under a Safer Cities grant program being pursued through Congressman Lofgren's office.
The purchase was the most contested item on the agenda during public comment and council discussion. A member of the public who identified a CPAR report alleging the city shared camera data with an out-of-state immigration agency asked whether that was true. Public safety staff responded that the logs show no data shared outside California and suggested the CPAR report was likely referencing a different Greenfield, saying, "that was not Greenfield, California, most likely Greenfield, Wisconsin. Going through the logs, there was no data that was shared to an outside agency from Greenfield." The staff member also said the city conducts audits and has privacy rules in place to prevent unauthorized access.
Council members and members of the public raised additional concerns: who can access camera data, whether the system is monitored in real time, data retention policies and the city's options if a vendor disrespects community expectations. Staff said the system is not continuously monitored and footage is retained for 30 days. They said the consolidated contract preserves existing camera functionality, enables 911/dispatch integration and adds drone capability and FAA-related regulatory support. On the question of contract termination, staff said Flock has in other communities been "very agreeable" to changing or ending contracts based on community concerns.
During the discussion, several council members emphasized the cameras' investigatory and deterrent benefits. Staff cited recent examples in which partial plate data helped officers identify and stop suspect vehicles traveling through the region.
A motion to approve the consolidated agreement passed on a voice vote. Council did not provide a roll-call tally in the meeting audio.
