Three Massachusetts Towns Halt or Cancel Flock Camera Deals Amid Public Backlash
Three additional towns in Massachusetts—Abington, Ayer, and Southbridge—have either canceled or paused their contracts with Flock Safety, a company that provides automated license plate readers. This decision comes in response to significant public backlash and community concerns regarding the use of these surveillance technologies. Abington Police Chief John Bonney announced his department would no longer work with Flock Safety after meeting with his team and acknowledging widespread community apprehension. Ayer's Select Board unanimously voted to disable and remove all Flock cameras, citing resident concerns and immediately terminating their contract. The Southbridge Police Department also announced a suspension of its Flock camera use, which had been installed earlier this year, stating a need for greater public understanding and discussion about the technology's safeguards, data retention, access, security, privacy protections, and oversight. 
