Council committee declines to renew Flock contract
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Cleveland City Council's Safety Committee has voted against extending the city's $250,000 contract with Flock Safety, despite warnings from police officials that losing the system would be "crippling" to investigations.
Why it matters: Wednesday's vote reflects growing skepticism about whether automated license plate readers deliver enough public safety benefits to justify expanded surveillance.
State of play: The legislation now heads to another council committee, but no date has been set for a hearing. Without council approval, the current contract expires June 29.
What they're saying: Across an occasionally testy three-hour meeting, council members questioned why thousands of surveillance cameras and license plate readers have not translated into improved law enforcement.
- The grassroots "Flock No CLE" campaign warned in public comments that the technology enables mass surveillance and gives a private company control over public data.
- "Stop making decisions about our 'safety' without listening to what would actually make us feel safe," the campaign wrote in a letter to Mayor Justin Bibb and City Council prior to the hearing.
The other side: Police leaders argued the technology helps solve crimes and said there have been no instances of data misuse by Cleveland officers.
- The Cleveland Clergy Coalition spoke in favor of the contract on safety grounds.
Zoom out: Cleveland's decision comes as dozens of other U.S. cities, including Fort Collins, Colorado, this week, have severed ties with Flock Safety after resident backlash.