Residents urge Bethlehem to end Flock Safety relationship; police chief says city uses only license‑plate readers

At the City of Bethlehem council meeting, residents pressed elected officials to end the city's relationship with Flock Safety, a company that sells license‑plate readers, security cameras, drones and analytics tools.

Alex Miller, a resident who identified himself at the lectern, described Flock as "a public safety technology ecosystem" and said its products create "a mass surveillance network." He cited recent reporting and a congressional inquiry and urged the council: "I urge you to end the city's partnership with an endorsement of flock safety." Miller also raised concerns about the company's reported ties to federal agencies and use of data in immigration enforcement.

Council members followed by asking the police chief to clarify local practice. Chief Kot responded that Bethlehem contracts with Flock only for automated license‑plate readers and not for Flock cameras. "We are the sole owners of that data," he said, adding that the department does not post that information on open‑source websites and that the automated readers capture short bursts of license‑plate data. He said he would confirm the department's retention period (noted in the discussion as believed to be 90 days).

The exchange left two distinct records: residents' claims about Flock's national practices and alleged federal cooperation, and the police chief's statement about Bethlehem's local usage and data custody. The chief's clarification addresses local procedures but does not adjudicate the national allegations raised by commenters.

What happens next: Council asked the chief to double‑check retention and sharing practices; residents may press the council further through upcoming hearings or public comment.