Fort Myers Beach, Liberty Hill, Manvel cancel Flock Safety contracts

14 September 2026. [AI first draft. Verify every fact against the source before publishing.]

Multiple municipal governments terminated contracts with Flock Safety in September 2026 following public concerns about data privacy and mass surveillance. On September 9, Fort Myers Beach, Florida voted to end its contract, while the same day Liberty Hill, Texas voted unanimously to cancel its agreement scheduled for automatic renewal in October. That week, Manvel, Texas also voted unanimously to terminate its arrangement. In August, Hopkinton, Massachusetts had canceled its contract after a legal review determined the agreement violated state law, with officials ordering immediate deactivation and removal by September 30. The cancellations reflect growing municipal resistance to automated license plate reader technology, which captures vehicle information including make, model, color, and license plate numbers for centralized database searches by law enforcement.

The terminations represent a significant shift for Flock Safety, founded in 2017 and currently operating more than 120,000 cameras nationwide. Liberty Hill Mayor Crystal Mancilla stated the decision reflected concerns about broader surveillance implications rather than issues specific to Flock. Privacy advocates including the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation have raised alarms about data retention practices and unregulated law enforcement searches, noting that less than one percent of scanned vehicles connect to any crime or investigation. Law enforcement agencies counter that the technology has assisted in locating missing persons and supporting investigations across state lines, though critics cite instances of misuse including personal access and data sharing with federal immigration enforcement.

These cancellations highlight a national tension between technological policing tools and constitutional privacy protections. Saira Hussain, senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, noted that contract termination does not immediately clarify data disposition or retention periods. Residents seeking to understand their municipality's surveillance technology decisions can request contract records, review city council meeting minutes, and examine law enforcement technology policies through public records requests.

Read the original reporting: Streamline.