Barnstable Council votes 7-3 to remove Flock cameras
By ยท Updated 28 Sep 2026
5 September 2026. [AI first draft. Verify every fact against the source before publishing.]
The Barnstable Town Council voted 7-3 on Thursday, September 3, 2026, to terminate the town's contract with Flock Safety and remove four automated license plate readers from operation. The vote occurred despite a last-minute appeal from police leadership, who outlined safeguards already in place including restricted data access, shorter retention periods, routine audits, and a ban on external agencies querying Barnstable footage directly. Police Chief Jean Challies and Detective Lt. Joseph Green described the cameras as investigative tools that had assisted in cases involving stolen vehicles, thefts, weapons, hit-and-runs, drug investigations, and two shootings.
The four cameras were positioned on Route 28 near Santuit and Newtown Road, Route 28 near Strawberry Hill Road, Main Street in Hyannis, and Yarmouth Road near the former Exit 7. Police cited Hyannis as a regional hub with a hospital, ferry terminal, shopping center, and airport, noting that the area accounted for 72 percent of the town's 1,996 reported crimes in 2025. Council President Craig Tamash, a retired Barnstable deputy police chief, voted with the minority to retain the system, arguing the restrictions were adequate and that removal amounted to discarding a useful resource.
Majority councilors raised concerns about privacy protections, independent oversight, the role of a private vendor operating camera networks nationwide, and data access protocols. Several indicated that searches should generally require a warrant outside true emergencies, while others proposed citizen review mechanisms or raised objections to Flock as the vendor specifically. At least one councilor signaled openness to a future automated license plate reader proposal if designed with stronger privacy rules and clearer oversight structures. The vote does not permanently prevent the town from reconsidering license plate reader technology under different terms.
Residents can monitor whether Barnstable pursues alternative automated license plate reader systems and what privacy safeguards or oversight measures might be proposed in future council agendas or public records requests about surveillance technology procurement.
Read the original reporting: Hyannis News – News & Information for Hyannis Cape Cod.