FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham Police Department will discontinue its use of automated license plate readers after the city decided not to renew its contract with Flock Safety.
Police Chief Lester Baker announced Friday that the decision was made in coordination with Mayor Sisitsky and the City Council Rules, Ordinances and Ethics Subcommittee.
The subcommittee has expressed interest in developing an ordinance regarding the use of automated license plate readers, and the police department will respect the process of developing such an ordinance, including gathering public input, Baker said.
The Flock Safety system will be shut off June 30, existing license plate reader cameras will be decommissioned, and Flock will schedule work orders for camera removals.
During the four years the department has utilized Flock Safety automated license plate readers, Framingham Police have cited Flock cameras as an investigatory tool in more than 200 reports, including larceny, breaking and entering, shoplifting, stolen motor vehicles, assault with a dangerous weapon and robbery.
In May, Westborough police put out a bulletin for a vehicle involved in a shooting that was located in Framingham after it was captured on Flock cameras, resulting in ammunition and an illegally possessed, loaded firearm being recovered.
In April 2025, a suspect involved in an assault with a firearm was identified after their vehicle was captured on Flock cameras.
In November 2024, an out-of-state missing juvenile was located after an officer received a Flock notification on a vehicle associated with the case.
In February 2023, Flock cameras captured a stolen motor vehicle that was entered into the database, leading to the arrest of two individuals with outstanding warrants, the recovery of trafficking weight in cocaine and the recovery of the stolen vehicle.
