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Sanford council rescinds authorization for Flock Safety camera trial after public concern
Summary
After public testimony and council debate, Sanford’s City Council voted to withdraw its authorization for a 60-day trial of Flock Safety license-plate-reader cameras, citing data-security, vendor conduct and lack of municipal control over hosted data.
The Sanford City Council voted Oct. 7 to withdraw approval for a planned 60-day trial of Flock Safety license-plate–reader cameras after residents raised privacy and data-security concerns and several councilors said they were not comfortable proceeding with the vendor.
The move came after two public commenters urged the council to reconsider the decision. Alex Clary, a new Sanford resident, said working with Flock Safety “at this time is a bit premature,” citing platform vulnerabilities, reported misidentifications and the company’s use of an Amazon Web Services–hosted data model. Diane Conley urged the council to “do some more research” and questioned who would be allowed access to the data, saying, “We don't need the problem with ICE in town.”
Council discussion focused on whether the municipality would have adequate control over footage and plate data and on reports of communities that later struggled to remove Flock cameras. Councilor Maura (who led the reconsideration) said she was worried the company would leave cameras in place after a trial. Councilor Bob (Stackpole) said the technology is “too soon” for Sanford and that municipalities have too many unknowns about data handling.
Maura moved that the council revoke the earlier authorization for a 60-day Flock trial and remove the police chief’s authorization to proceed; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The council did not replace the decision with a new contract or select an alternative vendor at the meeting.
The council did not set a timetable for further study. Mayor Becky Brink thanked residents and councilors for re-examining the matter and said the city would continue to consider technologies that help public safety.
What happens next: The council’s action ends the immediate authorization for the Flock Safety trial. Any future proposal for automated license-plate recognition or similar systems would need a new formal request and council approval.
