CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —

The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, severed ties with Flock Safety over two of their automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) installed in late November that officials weren’t aware of.

Flock is a safety technology company that provides smart cameras, ALPRs, and other services for law enforcement agencies.

In late October 2025, the city council voted to end its agreement with Flock Safety for the license plate readers. As part of that, 16 of Flock’s ALPRs that were deployed in the community were deactivated and removed by the city.

According to a city spokesperson, in late November, two cameras were installed by Flock technicians without the city’s awareness.

“Due to this material breach of our trust and the agreement, the City terminated its contract with Flock Safety,” the spokesperson said.

The city said the two cameras have since been removed.

“The Police Department, Law Department, IT Department, and City Manager’s Office had many meetings, internally and with Flock Safety, to discuss City Council and community concerns raised with the previously approved deployment of Flock’s automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), as well as data privacy and security, and the importance of ensuring Cambridge remains a welcoming and safe city for all of our residents,” a Cambridge spokesperson said. “Moving ahead, the City plans to conduct a thorough evaluation of ALPRs in Cambridge and looks forward to re-engaging with the City Council and broader community about this technology.”

NewsCenter 5 has reached out to Flock Safety for comment about the Cambridge incident.

Nearly 100 law enforcement agencies across Massachusetts utilize Flock Safety technology, according to a company spokesperson.

The company said each Flock customer “fully owns and controls 100% of its date,” and that customers can decide if, when, and with whom to share the information.

“Data is automatically deleted by default after 30 days unless otherwise required by local law or policy,” a company spokesperson said.