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Story County pulls Flock Safety renewal from consent after data-access concerns
Summary
Supervisors removed a proposed 24-month, $10,000 Flock Safety license renewal from the consent agenda and claims after sheriff’s staff disclosed past outside access incidents, audit gaps, and contract language questions; county attorney review and clarification from Flock were requested.
The Story County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 11 to remove a proposed 24‑month, $10,000 service agreement with Flock Safety from the consent agenda and from previously approved claims pending further review.
Lieutenant Liz Quinn, field services commander for the Story County Sheriff’s Office, told the board Story County is on Flock’s “lowest tier,” meaning the county does not have nationwide access and currently shares access only with the Iowa State University Police Department. Quinn said administrative controls limit who can change sharing settings and that all user activity is logged so audits can detect misuse.
Several supervisors raised concerns about an October 2025 incident Quinn described in which outside agencies briefly had access to Story County data. Quinn said the outside access was discovered during an internal audit covering Oct. 1–2, 2025 and that Flock remedied the issue after being notified. Quinn offered to increase the frequency of audits and to provide more formal audit reports to the board.
A committee member pressed whether the county had a clear, affirmative responsibility and process for removing outdated or inaccurate hot‑list entries. Quinn said investigators or administrators can remove entries and that audit reviews should capture removals, but supervisors asked for stronger, documented procedures to ensure entries are not left in the system after cases are closed.
Board discussion also focused on contract language that grants Flock a broad, nonexclusive license over “customer‑generated data.” A supervisor asked for written clarification from Flock and recommended sending the contract back to the County Attorney for review. The board approved a motion to pull the Flock renewal and the related claim for additional legal review and clarification from the vendor.
“The questions you laid out are valid,” Quinn said, adding the sheriff’s office will work with the county attorney and Flock to provide clarification and to demonstrate internal controls. The board directed staff to return with the county attorney’s review and Flock’s written responses before taking further action.
The item’s removal does not cancel the county’s ability to negotiate; Quinn said vendors typically work with the county on timing if more time is needed for review.
