Eastpointe city leaders have voted to terminate the city’s contract with Flock Safety, ending the use of its automated license plate reader cameras amid concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of the technology.
The city council voted 4-1 on Tuesday 15 September to end the agreement with the Atlanta-based company. Mayor Michael Klinefelt, who supported installing the cameras more than two years ago, introduced the motion.
“I know they’re a really valuable tool, but at this point I feel there’s a lot of issues surrounding Flock cameras,” Mr Klinefelt told the meeting, according to The Detroit News.
He said there was not enough infrastructure in place to ensure the system was being used appropriately and argued that suspending it would allow officials time to establish stronger safeguards.
Eastpointe installed 18 Flock cameras in 2024. The police department also had access to the company’s wider database, allowing officers to search for full, partial and temporary number plates by time and location.
The system could also be used to search footage for details including a vehicle’s type, make, colour and the state in which its plate was issued.
Police chief Corey Haines said the technology had helped solve 39 crimes in 2024, 54 in 2025 and 46 so far this year. He said the cases included stolen vehicles, retail fraud, hit-and-runs and drive-by shootings.
Mr Haines acknowledged that the system could be abused but said it had delivered significant benefits to the department. The original two-year contract, signed in March 2024, was worth $127,100 and automatically renewed for a further two years after expiring in March 2026.
Eastpointe is among several Metro Detroit communities to have cancelled or ended agreements with Flock since May, including Independence Township, Sumpter Township, Ferndale, Clawson, Milford and Westland. Officials in nearby St Clair Shores are also considering further restrictions on the technology.
