Two more Massachusetts communities are terminating their contracts with Flock Safety, the controversial license plate reader system that has raised concerns about privacy.
The Grafton and East Bridgewater police departments announced in social media posts Friday that they would cut ties with the company. More than a dozen municipalities in Massachusetts have publicly suspended or terminated use of the cameras in recent months.
Both departments cited community backlash as the driving force behind the decision.
Grafton Police Chief Neil A. Minardi said in a statement that the department had begun deactivating the cameras “amid growing concerns about the use of this technology in our community.”
“This decision also comes in response to vandalism and theft involving these devices,” Minardi said.
Grafton police previously announced the installation of 12 of the cameras. At the time, officials sought to allay public concerns by saying the cameras did not use facial recognition technology, and that every use “must be tied to a legitimate law enforcement purpose.”
East Bridgewater originally planned to install four Flock cameras, but police said that only one had been brought online before the project was paused for public review.
On Friday, the department announced that it would terminate its contract and work with Flock to remove the camera already installed. The department cited “the concerns raised locally and nationally about privacy, data access, oversight, safeguards and the potential for misuse.”
East Bridgewater Police Chief Michael Jenkins described the decision as a matter of “community trust.”
“As Chief of Police, I have a responsibility to continually evaluate whether technology remains appropriate for our department and our community,” Jenkes said in a statement. “That responsibility does not end once a contract has been signed.”
Jenkins said that automated license readers are still useful law enforcement tools “when properly governed.”
But, he added, the ongoing concerns surrounding the program “outweigh the benefits we anticipated receiving from it.”
“There will be times when new technology provides significant benefits to law enforcement,” Jenkins said. “There will also be times when we determine that the risks, concerns, or lack of public confidence warrant taking a different approach. Responsible leadership means being willing to reassess decisions when circumstances change. That is what we are doing here.”
East Bridgewater police said they had not identified any misuse of the Flock system or its data by any officers or town employee.
Flock surveillance cameras have been installed in over 100 communities in Massachusetts. But they have raised concerns of misuse by law enforcement, due in part to questionable searches targeting private citizens.
Earlier this week, police in Stow announced they would also cut ties with Flock, the “direct result” of an officer who allegedly used the camera system and other state databases to access a person’s personal information. The officer in question allegedly targeted a former partner, who told Boston 25 News she had left an abusive relationship with him.
New Bedford police also said they would pause the use of their Flock cameras after an officer accused of stalking her ex-girlfriend was placed on leave.
New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody said officials would conduct a “thorough review” of the technology “and how to best ensure its secure use going forward.”
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.