KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Excelsior Springs City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve an ordinance terminating the city's contract with Flock Safety, a company that manufactures automated license plate readers.
The ordinance stops city funds from going toward the Flock master services agreement in the 2027 fiscal year. It also directs the city manager to terminate the agreement within 30 days.
The vote comes as other law enforcement agencies in cities such as Eudora, Parkville and Lee's Summit have issued statements or changed their policies surrounding the use of Flock cameras.
After Flock cameras were found damaged across Clay and Platte counties, Excelsior Springs residents voiced their concerns at an informational town hall on Sept. 15.
A day later, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an executive order to establish guidelines for the use of ALPR technology.
Later that week, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley invited the CEOs of companies behind the technology to testify in front of Congress.
"Nobody's going to have any privacy," Hawley said. "You step outside and you're going to be on camera constantly. That is a huge, huge issue."
While neighbors and some lawmakers have opposed Flock cameras, some law enforcement officials have been in favor of them, saying it helps their investigations.
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