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Bolivar aldermen direct immediate stop to Flock camera use and order contract review
Summary
After residents and several aldermen raised privacy and data-sharing concerns, the Board of Aldermen voted to stop using the city’s Flock Safety cameras immediately and directed staff to review the contract and options for exit or adjustment. The cameras were installed under a $50,000 grant paid in full; the contract term begins when cameras are operational.
The Bolivar Board of Aldermen voted July 28 to halt use of the city’s Flock Safety cameras and asked staff to review the contract after residents and board members raised privacy and data‑sharing concerns.
“A lot of the concerns are genuine — privacy, data tracking, selling of data,” said an alderman who moved the review and immediate stop. Board members said the cameras were purchased with a $50,000 grant that the city paid in full and that installation and permitting only recently reached an operational stage. Staff said the contract’s 24‑month term began when cameras were made operational last month.
Several speakers urged caution, citing how the company allows external access to footage and asking whether the cameras’ orientation or placement could be modified. One council member suggested technical fixes — pointing cameras at the ground or away from roadways — but another said that would violate the board’s sense of integrity. The board debated options including early termination costs and relocation of cameras.
The motion approved by the board directs city staff to: (1) review the Flock contract and contract payment status; (2) identify any early‑termination obligations (members noted the city may owe any unpaid portion of the contract); and (3) immediately stop operational use of the cameras pending the review. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
The board also decided not to proceed with a scheduled presentation by a Flock representative at the meeting, saying they preferred staff to return with contract details at the next meeting.
