Boston has ended its relationship with Flock Safety, a vendor of automated license plate readers (ALPRs). This decision came after the city discovered that data collected by the cameras was accessible to other law enforcement agencies, despite a contractual agreement limiting access to Boston police only. Inc.com reported on the contract's termination.
This development means that drivers in Boston will no longer have their license plate information captured and potentially shared through this particular system. For those interested in understanding more about how ALPRs work and where they might be present, FlockDetour's /learn section offers background information.
What happened with Boston's Flock Safety cameras?
The Boston Police Department (BPD) had been using 45 Flock cameras as part of a five-month pilot program. The trial ran from April 1 to September 4, 2025. The agreement specified that only authorized BPD personnel should have access to the collected license plate and vehicle information.
However, just three days into the pilot, BPD found that a Flock feature allowing data sharing with other law enforcement agencies was active. This was in direct conflict with the city's contract.
- Pilot duration: April 1 - September 4, 2025
- Number of cameras: 45
- Contract stipulation: Data sharing was to be disabled for outside agencies.
- Discovery: Data sharing feature was enabled.
According to Boston's 2025 Surveillance Technology Report, "The contract clearly noted that data sharing was to be disabled, and BPD confirmed with Flock that settings were 'off' for sharing." Despite this confirmation, the feature was found to be active.
What does this mean for drivers in Boston?
The immediate impact for drivers in Boston is that the 45 Flock Safety ALPRs deployed during the pilot are no longer in operation. The city has stated it "will not use its services going forward." This means a reduction in the number of ALPRs actively capturing vehicle data within Boston's jurisdiction through this specific vendor.
This situation highlights the ongoing discussions around data privacy and the deployment of surveillance technology by municipalities. Drivers concerned about their privacy can explore the /map on FlockDetour to see where other ALPRs and surveillance cameras are located in their area.
The city and police issued a joint statement confirming the termination. "When the Boston Police Department discovered that a Flock data-sharing function had been enabled despite a clear, contractual agreement prohibiting its use, BPD immediately directed the vendor to disable it," officials said. "The city has since ended all use of Flock and will not use its services going forward."
Boston's decision serves as an example of how local governments are navigating the complexities of surveillance technology and data management. The termination is effective immediately, and there are no plans to reinstate the contract.