Flock Safety: Police chief manually disconnects cameras after ignored cancellation
In Plymouth, Minnesota, cameras stayed active for over a month after the city council voted to terminate the contract, prompting the police chief to unplug the equipment himself.
By Noor Graham ·
Plymouth, Minnesota police Chief Eric Fadden physically disconnected Flock Safety cameras after the company failed to respond to a termination request for more than a month. The city council voted to end the contract in September, but Flock never acknowledged the request, leaving the cameras running while the city waited for confirmation.
Fadden took direct action to ensure the equipment stopped recording license plates. "After hearing nothing for more than a week, I directed our staff to disconnect the power cords from the cameras in order to be sure that they are not functioning or recording plates," Fadden told The Drive.
Similar friction is occurring in Dayton, Minnesota, located roughly 20 miles away. Flock acknowledged the city's cancellation request and stated it would take up to 60 days to remove the hardware. However, the company reconnected two cameras within city limits without authorization, despite a specific instruction from local police to pause all work orders.
Dayton police learned of a Flock maintenance work order on September 17, 2026. The city notified Flock the next day that the program was on hold and no work orders should be completed. The company ignored this direction and placed the camera back into service without permission.
These incidents follow a similar dispute in Illinois, where Flock refused to remove cameras and later uncovered equipment at Elgin Community College after the administration sought to cancel its agreement. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the recent events in Minnesota.
Source: The Verge
