Wakefield Police Disable Flock License Plate Cameras

Wakefield Police Chief Steven Skory announced Oct. 26 that the department has disabled its Flock Safety automated license plate reader camera system and will work with Flock Safety to remove the equipment as soon as possible.

The decision follows an Oct. 19 Town Council meeting where Skory discussed the department's use of the technology with councilors and the public, as well as separate conversations he had with other residents. In a statement, Skory said many people expressed trust in officers' use of the system but raised concerns about the technology itself, including individual privacy and the security of personal information.

"Despite the benefits we have experienced from its use, after careful reflection I feel it is in the best interest of the community to discontinue the use of our Flock system," Skory said in the statement.

Wakefield's five ALPR cameras had been in use since 2024 and helped the department solve crimes, recover stolen property and locate missing people, according to Skory. He said access to the Flock platform had been limited to the department's Detective Unit and Command Staff, who served as system administrators, and that every vehicle search required the identity of the searching officer, a lawful search reason and a Wakefield Police case number.

Skory said the network was never intended to be a source of discord in the community and that the department had operated it with a high level of integrity, following department policy and applicable law. He thanked residents and councilors who engaged with him on the issue.

Source: Town of Wakefield announcement, October 27, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.