GRAFTON, Mass.- Grafton police have begun deactivating all 12 Flock Safety license plate reader cameras installed throughout the community, about a month after the department announced their installation.
Chief Neil A. Minardi announced the decision August 21, saying the department had begun the process of deactivating the Flock devices amid “growing concerns about the use of this technology in our community.” The decision also follows vandalism and theft involving the cameras, according to the department.
On July 22, police said 12 Flock Safety license plate reader cameras had been installed throughout Grafton after the program was reviewed and approved through the town’s established public process.
At the time, the department said the cameras captured license plates and vehicle characteristics and could help locate stolen vehicles, wanted suspects, and missing or endangered persons, as well as assist with criminal investigations.
The decision in Grafton comes as other Massachusetts communities have also taken steps to end or restrict their use of Flock Safety technology. In Lynn, two police officers were placed on paid administrative leave after an audit identified anomalies in searches conducted through the department’s Flock system, prompting an Internal Affairs investigation. In Littleton, four of six Flock cameras have been removed and the remaining two are scheduled for removal in September after the town ended its contract with Flock Safety.
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