WALTHAM, MA — The Waltham Police Department issued a statement Tuesday confirming its commitment to responsible technology use and clarifying policies regarding Flock Safety surveillance cameras installed throughout the city.
The department said the cameras are employed to assist officers in criminal investigations, finding missing or endangered people, and responding to incidents where obtaining information quickly is necessary.
Questions had been raised by residents and community advocates about whether the data from Flock cameras could be accessed for federal immigration enforcement purposes.
According to the department, officers do not use Flock technology for immigration-related investigations and do not share camera data with any federal agencies.
Officials said the department’s recently released Flock policy establishes strict guidelines for how the system is accessed and requires officers to complete training before using the cameras.
The policy further restricts sharing of the city’s Flock camera network to approved law enforcement agencies within Massachusetts only, with an emphasis on compliance with state law and privacy protections.
The department provided links to its automatic license plate reader policy and a transparency portal for public review.
