South Portland Removes All Flock Safety Cameras, Ends Surveillance Program

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — South Portland has completed the removal of all seven automated license plate cameras from city streets, officially ending its relationship with Flock Safety nearly two weeks after the City Council voted to discontinue the surveillance program.

City Manager Scott Morelli confirmed that Flock Safety representatives removed the final equipment on June 22. The cameras had been disabled on June 11, the same day the council voted unanimously to immediately terminate the city's use of the technology, but removal required coordination with the Atlanta-based company.

The cameras, which used artificial intelligence and machine learning to scan and record license plates, vehicle models, colors, and other identifying details like bumper stickers, had been positioned at four locations throughout the city. Two cameras stood near Interstate 295 by Pape Chevrolet, two more operated on Western Avenue near Maine Mall Road, two were stationed at Cash Corner, and one sat along Maine Mall Road itself.

The decision to remove the cameras followed months of growing public concern and debate. Earlier this year, the police department had requested $26,000 to extend the city's contract with Flock Safety and add an additional camera. However, the city withdrew that budget request in May and scheduled a public workshop to address community concerns about the surveillance technology.

Many residents raised objections centered on data privacy and security. Questions emerged about who could access the information collected by the cameras and whether the police department could guarantee the system's safety from misuse.

Those concerns intensified after reports revealed that Flock Safety had shared data with federal immigration and border authorities. A 2025 investigation found that Customs and Border Protection had access to more than 80,000 of the company's cameras deployed across the country. Flock Safety contracts with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide.

A majority of councilors ultimately concluded that the uncertainties surrounding the technology were too significant to ignore.

"There were too many unknowns to continue using these cameras," the council majority stated, signaling openness to future discussions about balancing public safety with privacy concerns through committee work or additional workshops.

The removal marks the end of South Portland's involvement with Flock Safety, and the city no longer maintains an account with the company.