What did Wichita's council approve?
The Wichita Eagle reported that the Wichita City Council voted 5-1 on Election Day to extend its contract with Flock Safety until March 31, 2027. The cost is $259,208.63.
The extension covers automated license plate readers and gunshot-detection equipment. The city listed it as a change order for Flock's hardware and software maintenance, not as a new contract.
Why did residents have little time to weigh in?
The extension was posted in the Tuesday agenda packet less than 24 hours before the meeting. Key details in the item:
- It was not labeled as its own agenda item.
- It was grouped under Board of Bids and Contracts, alongside routine items such as water treatment chemicals.
- No public comment is allowed for that part of the meeting.
Council member Mike Hoheisel cast the lone no vote. He asked city staff whether the $259,208.63 was necessary if the city switched vendors early next year. Council member Becky Tuttle was not at the meeting.
What did city staff say the extension is for?
Purchasing manager Josh Lauber said staff has been drafting a new Flock contract since Dec. 26, 2025. He said the extension gives staff time to finish negotiations and gives the council time to take public input before deciding the service's future.
What changes for drivers?
The extension keeps the Flock contract in place through March 31, 2027. Cameras run by other cities, the county, the state, businesses or homeowners associations are not part of this vote.
According to Flock's webpage for Wichita, the company stores data from Wichita cameras for 30 days. In the past 30 days, Flock reports photos of 840,526 different vehicles, 37,948 hotlist hits and 2,027 search sessions by law enforcement. Flock does not say who searched or whether the searches had case numbers.
The Wichita Police Department shares its data with at least 132 other law enforcement agencies, including at least 22 that have 287(g) agreements with ICE. You can check the camera map for cameras near you, and how plate readers work explains what the data includes. Published transparency records for other agencies are on the agency records page.
What happens next?
One Wichita man has sued the city seeking to have the cameras removed. The city wants the lawsuit dismissed, and a judge has not yet ruled on the motions.
The next date on the record is March 31, 2027, when Lauber said the council would decide what happens with Flock in Wichita.