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Plymouth police unplug Flock cameras after the company ignores its cancellation notice
Police Chief Eric Fadden pulled the power cords in Plymouth, Minnesota, and Dayton says Flock put cameras back up after the city took them down.
Plymouth pulls the plug
Plymouth, Minnesota Police Chief Eric Fadden directed staff to disconnect the power cords from Flock cameras in the city after Flock Safety ignored and failed to respond to the city's notice that it was canceling service. [1] The step affects Plymouth, which no longer has working Flock cameras recording plates. [1]
Plymouth police suspended use of Flock on September 23 and notified Flock Safety that the contract would be canceled. [1] The city then sent a formal cancellation letter via US Mail and email after consulting with its City Attorney's Office. [1]
A week of silence
Plymouth's police chief said the city heard no reply from Flock Safety Corporate or Legal, only some communication with the local Flock representative. [1] After more than a week without a response, Fadden directed staff to disconnect the cameras so they would not function or record plates. [1]
Dayton says cameras went back up
Plymouth is not the only Minnesota city with a dispute. Flock reportedly put some cameras back up in a Minnesota city that had taken them down. [2]
On September 29, the City of Dayton posted a community update on its Facebook page alerting residents that Flock had installed and put into service two cameras against the city's direction without authorization. [1] Dayton's Police Department had become aware on September 17, 2026 of a maintenance work order produced by Flock. [1]
City officials found two cameras had been reinstalled after becoming aware Flock put a camera back up. [2] City staff then reviewed locations throughout the community and identified one additional location where a camera had been reinstalled. [1] The Dayton police department removed the reinstalled cameras, according to city officials. [2]
Flock's acknowledgment of Dayton's cancellation took 5 days from the date of the cancellation, according to Dayton city administrator Zach Doud. [1]
Removal and what Flock says
Crystal Police Chief Pete Underthun said he personally went to the locations and removed the cameras and poles. [1] Removed Flock cameras in St. Paul and Crystal are stored and awaiting pickup by Flock, and the cities are still working with the company to close out contracts. [1]
Flock stated that it is responsible for removing its cameras and that timelines vary by customer. [1] It said it respects the cities' decisions to end their contracts and is working with the customers to have the cameras removed. [1] Flock has not responded to multiple inquiries from The Drive, aside from providing a link to its media FAQ page. [1]
How Flock works and how big it is
Flock is a subscription service: customers subscribe and get app access, while Flock Safety installs and owns and operates the hardware. [1] That arrangement explains why the cities wait for Flock to collect cameras it owns. [1]
Flock says more than 12,000 customers use its products. [3] Public estimates suggest roughly 90,000 Flock-branded cameras may operate in the US. [3]
Critics say Flock's national and statewide 'lookup' feature lets Flock employees view cameras across its network without notifying or asking permission from municipalities. [2]
What this means for you
If your city subscribes to Flock, Flock Safety installs and owns and operates the hardware, and customers get app access. [1] In Plymouth, the city's own cancellation notice went unanswered for more than a week, and staff disconnected the cameras themselves. [1]
In Dayton, residents were alerted through the city's Facebook page that cameras had been installed and put into service against the city's direction. [1] The city's staff checked locations throughout the community for further reinstalled cameras. [1]
Sources
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