By admin 
CAVE CREEK, AZ (AZFamily) — The town of Cave Creek says it is ending its contract with Flock Safety license plate reading cameras, effective immediately, following privacy concerns and a recent camera theft.
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The decision comes after town officials and residents raised questions about how the data was being used and shared.
Cave Creek officials originally hoped the cameras would help law enforcement while still protecting resident privacy. However, because Flock’s networked system allows other police agencies across the country to access the scanned data, Cave Creek officials realized they could not protect residents’ information once it left town limits.
Cave Creek is the second Valley municipality on Wednesday to announce plans to end its contract with Flock, following Tempe’s announcement that it will discontinue its program.
The decisions come amid growing scrutiny of license plate reader cameras, particularly those made by Flock Safety, and recent incidents of misuse in nearby Chandler and Apache Junction.
Initially, Cave Creek officials planned to debate the system and vote on new privacy policies at a Sept. 15 council meeting. Instead, town staff decided to cancel the program immediately, citing several recent high-profile cases of the system being abused both locally and nationally.
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The decision was also fast-tracked after someone allegedly stole a Flock camera near 32nd St. and Carefree Highway. Following the theft, the town’s Public Works Department says it removed all remaining cameras for safekeeping.
The town manager and town attorney are expected to explain the decision to end the contract at a town council meeting on Sept. 1.
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