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Flock Safety replaced a camera in Plymouth, Minnesota, that police had unplugged after the City Council voted to end its contract with the company. Flock said a maintenance order was mistakenly left open and the replacement is not collecting data, but The Drive reported the camera was plugged into its solar panel and battery pack when checked. The city said it was sending staff to investigate.
Flock Safety replaced an unplugged automatic license-plate reader in Plymouth, Minnesota, after the City Council voted to end its contract with the company and police ordered the cameras disconnected. Flock said the installation resulted from a maintenance order that was mistakenly left open, and that the new camera is not collecting data; The Drive reported that the unit appeared plugged into its solar panel and battery pack when checked.
The City Council voted on September 22 to discontinue use of Flock’s license-plate readers and end its contract. A month later, the cameras were still in place. Plymouth Police Chief Eric Fadden told The Drive that, after receiving no response for more than a week, he directed staff to disconnect the cameras’ power cords so they could not function or record plates.
On Wednesday, a contractor was seen replacing the camera on Rockford Road, west of Highway 494. The contractor told The Drive he had a Flock work order and that the existing camera was being replaced because it was “broken.” He declined to identify himself or his employer and did not show the publication the work order. The Drive reported that the replacement appeared physically larger than the unplugged unit.
Flock later said the cameras were disconnected before the contract cancellation had been formally processed, triggering automatic maintenance orders. The company said one order was inadvertently missed when other work orders were removed. It said the replacement was not collecting data and that all cameras would be removed in the coming weeks. The Drive’s check found the new unit plugged into its attached solar panel and battery pack, a detail that could suggest it was powered, though the publication did not establish whether it was recording.
A Contract Dispute Becomes a Camera Check
The installation matters because Plymouth had already voted to end the surveillance system and its police chief had ordered the equipment disconnected. The replacement created a practical question for residents and local officials: whether the city’s decision had actually stopped the devices from operating while removal was pending.
Flock’s explanation points to a missed maintenance order, rather than an intentional decision to resume service. But the company’s statement that the new unit was not collecting data was not independently confirmed in the report. The difference between a camera being physically installed, powered, and actively collecting plate data matters for assessing whether the city’s cancellation was being followed in practice.
The episode also leaves Plymouth responsible for checking equipment at sites where the city expected cameras to be inactive. Fadden said staff were being sent to investigate. The report does not establish that the new camera recorded any vehicle information.
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Plymouth’s September Cancellation
Plymouth’s council vote came after months of controversy surrounding the city’s use of Flock cameras. The report’s author, Joel Feder, said the vote followed an incident in which police officers used camera tracking while pursuing him and his wife. That description is Feder’s account of the incident; the material provided does not include an independent account or additional findings about it.
The cameras remained in place after the council vote, and Fadden said he ordered staff to disconnect them after the city received no response for more than a week. The Drive also reported an earlier case in Dayton, Minnesota, where Flock reinstalled cameras after the city had taken them down. The outlet described that as a similar occurrence, but the provided material does not detail the circumstances or outcome in Dayton.
“The newly installed camera is not collecting data.”
— Flock Safety spokesperson
Camera Power and Data Collection
The available reporting does not establish whether the replacement camera actually collected plate data. Flock said it was not collecting data, while The Drive observed that it was plugged into its solar panel and battery pack. That observation indicates a power connection but does not, on its own, confirm that the unit was transmitting or recording information.
It is also unclear whether Plymouth staff inspected the replacement after Fadden said they were being sent to the site, what they found, and whether the city has formally completed the contract cancellation and equipment-removal process. The Drive said it would update its report if it received further comment from Flock.
City Inspection and Camera Removal
Plymouth staff were heading to the site to investigate, according to Fadden’s comments to The Drive. The city’s inspection could clarify whether the replacement was powered, whether it was collecting or transmitting data, and whether other cameras remained installed.
Flock said it had expedited all removal orders and expected the cameras to be removed in the coming weeks. The source material does not provide a specific removal date or say whether Plymouth has verified the company’s timeline. The next confirmed developments are the city’s findings and any further company response or removal update.
Key Questions
Why was a camera replaced in Plymouth?
A contractor told The Drive the existing camera was being replaced because it was “broken.” Flock later said an automatic maintenance order had been mistakenly left open after the city’s contract cancellation process began.
Had Plymouth voted to end its Flock contract?
Yes. The City Council voted on September 22 to discontinue use of the license-plate readers and end the contract, according to The Drive.
Did the replacement camera collect data?
Flock said it was not collecting data. The Drive reported that it was plugged into its solar panel and battery pack, but the report did not confirm whether it recorded or transmitted plate information.
What happens to the cameras now?
Flock said all cameras would be removed in the coming weeks. Plymouth police staff were also sent to inspect the replacement, but the material provided does not include the results of that inspection or a specific removal date.
Source: thedrive.com
