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Duluth Police Explain Decision to End Flock Contract
Six of Duluth’s nine cameras were stolen or damaged, and police said the system was too vulnerable and had no ongoing funding.
- The Duluth Police Department will end its contract for street-mounted license plate readers following a one-year test run, Chief Mike Ceynowa confirmed Wednesday, citing susceptibility to vandalism and theft.
- Solar-Powered cameras mounted on simple aluminum poles could be disassembled with common household tools, while state law required the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to publicly post their locations, making them easy targets.
- At a City Council meeting Monday, August 10, residents urged officials to terminate the partnership; resident Ellen Gott said, "It seems like they're in many ways increasing crimes."
- All nine cameras are now offline and the contract officially expires in September, though Ceynowa indicated the department might contract with another vendor for stationary readers in the future.
- Deputy Chief Nick Lukovsky stated the agency seeks "responsible technologies" balancing public safety with privacy interests, as Minnesota law mandates biennial third-party audits to ensure compliance with data retention requirements.
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Duluth police explain decision to end Flock contract
Vandals have been stealing or destroying the cameras, and some community members have raised concerns about privacy and misuse.
·Cherokee County, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left0Leaning Right6Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution54% Center
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources are Center
54% Center
C 54%
R 46%
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