Gardner police discontinue Flock cameras as license plate readers face scrutiny

A Johnson County, Kansas, community is discontinuing its Flock Safety license plate cameras and canceling its contract as privacy and data-access concerns grow. Gardner, Kansas, is pulling the plug on the cameras. The Gardner City Council agreed Monday night to immediately turn off the city's Flock cameras and not renew its contract for the automated license plate-reading system. By Tuesday, some cameras were covered to prevent recording. The Gardner Police Department confirmed it discontinued all Flock cameras and notified the provider that the contract was canceled. "The decision reflects an ongoing evaluation of technology and resources to ensure the Police Department is using tools that provide the utmost value to the community and support its public safety operations," the city said in a statement. The decision comes as automated license plate readers face growing scrutiny over privacy and how the collected information can be accessed and shared.