The Town Council in South Windsor, Connecticut, voted to end its contract with Flock Safety, leading to the immediate deactivation of all stationary automated license plate readers (ALPRs) in town. As reported by Greenwich Time on October 8, 2026, the police chief confirmed the cameras were deactivated quickly after the council's decision.
What happened to the cameras in South Windsor?
The South Windsor Town Council voted 6-3 on Monday, October 5, 2026, to remove the ALPR technology. Key actions resulting from this vote include:
- Contract Termination: The town manager was directed to terminate the contract with Flock Safety.
- Camera Removal: ALPRs are to be removed from town within 60 days.
- Data Purge: All data collected by the cameras must be purged.
Police Chief Kristian Lindstrom stated the contract was terminated and the cameras deactivated by Wednesday, October 7, 2026. This means drivers in South Windsor are no longer subject to automated license plate scanning from these specific devices. To see other areas where ALPRs are active, check the /map.
Why were the Flock cameras removed?
The council's decision came after a public hearing and extensive discussion. While Chief Lindstrom expressed that he believes ALPR technology is an important tool for law enforcement, council members who voted to remove the cameras cited concerns about mass surveillance. Conversely, those who voted against removal argued the technology's potential to save lives outweighed its imperfections.
The initial decision to implement these cameras occurred in a closed-door executive session by a previous Town Council in 2023, with the cameras rolled out in 2025. If ALPRs were to be reintroduced in South Windsor, the Town Council would need to hold another public hearing and subsequent public vote.
This move by South Windsor aligns with a trend of other Connecticut municipalities choosing to either not install Flock cameras or to remove existing ones. Flock Safety, in response, noted that Connecticut recently enacted strong laws regarding license plate readers, including a 21-day data retention period, a requirement for a documented case code for every search, and protections against using the technology for immigration enforcement. For more information on how ALPRs work and the privacy implications, visit /learn.