Gardner police discontinue Flock cameras as license plate readers face scrutiny

The Gardner City Council voted to immediately turn off the city's Flock Safety license plate cameras and cancel the contract, citing growing privacy and data-access concerns. The cameras, which photograph license plates to help locate vehicles tied to crimes or missing persons, have been criticized for creating detailed records of people's movements. Council member Kelly Johnson noted the action only applies to city-owned cameras, not those operated by Johnson County or the state. Flock Safety has announced it will reduce data retention from 30 days to seven days and require a criminal case number for searches.