Three months ago, a routine traffic stop turned into a public controversy when police in Plymouth used a Flock automated license-plate reader (ALPR) to pull over a couple without justification. The incident, which occurred on June 28, sparked a cascade of complaints and a rapid review of the city’s surveillance partnership.
While the couple was on vacation near Lake of the Woods in Canada, they learned that local reporters had begun asking for comment about an upcoming council discussion on the ALPR contract. The next morning, a friend sent a screenshot from the local NBC affiliate showing that the Plymouth City Council had almost unanimously voted to terminate the agreement.
Council deliberations and the mayor’s stance
The council’s three-hour session followed a two-hour study period where Chief Fadden of the Plymouth Police Department presented evidence of how the automated license-plate reader had assisted investigations and contributed to public safety. He even included a slide that referenced the June 28 wrongful stop, anticipating that the topic would arise during questioning.
Mayor Jeff Wosje, the sole holdout among the seven-person council, explained his vote during the meeting. He said, “I’m weighing this against what we all talked about—the ability to keep our residents safe and catch the bad guys—versus basically the bad PR that Flock has.” He added that he would support any tool the police deemed necessary, even if it attracted criticism. Deputy Mayor Clark Gregor, who sided with the other six members, supported the cancellation.
Policy shift and data sharing changes
One of the key outcomes of the vote was the decision to stop sharing Flock data with the broader west-metro police network. Previously, Plymouth had provided its ALPR feeds to roughly 36 neighboring departments. Chief Fadden clarified that the change resulted from concerns that northern counties were querying the system for immigration-related purposes, prompting the city to pause external access.
The council’s resolution does not specify a timeline for physically removing the cameras. City officials hinted that an alternative system—potentially from Axon or Leonardo—could replace the current technology, but no contract has been announced yet.
Company response and future outlook
Less than two months after the June 28 incident, Garrett Langley CEO of Flock, publicly acknowledged the company’s shortcomings that placed innocent citizens at risk and outlined a series of internal reforms. Now, three months after that admission, Plymouth finds itself on the national stage as it dismantles the very program that sparked the controversy.
With the mayor up for re-election in November, the decision may influence voter sentiment as the race pits him against Deputy Mayor Clark Gregor, who voted for the cancellation. Residents and law-enforcement advocates will be watching closely to see whether a new ALPR solution will emerge or if the city will move away from automated plate scanning altogether.
