Cedar Rapids will nix Flock contract but continue camera usage

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Police Department will not renew its contract with Flock Safety for the ongoing operation of dozens of automated license plate readers across the city.

City Manager Jeff Pomeranz confirmed the change in an email to City Council members where he stated the city will instead contract with Axon Enterprises for future ALPR use. The current Flock contract ends Feb. 9.

Pomeranz writes that Axon’s system “provides a more cohesive integration with other police department technologies” such as the Axon body-worn cameras and in-car camera systems the city is working to acquire as part of a previously approved contract.

“Combining technologies under one platform will improve operational efficiency (and) evidence management and allow the Police Department to better integrate its public safety technology and resources,” Pomeranz writes.

The email is dated Sept. 25, but it was not posted to the city’s public-facing council communications webpage until this week.

Currently, there are 70 pole-mounted Flock cameras citywide. The message does not include a transition timeline plan or timeline, although it does state the number of automated license plate reader cameras “will not increase” as a result of the change.

Department staff deferred commenting on the change until Tuesday evening, when it will host a community info session on the use of automated license plate readers and other public safety technology. Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Change follows public pressure

The change comes after months of mounting public pressure against the cameras, which automatically scan the license plates and color, make and model of every vehicle that passes within view.

Plates are then run through law enforcement databases to check whether they’re associated with a warrant or a missing person, at which point an officer would be pinged for follow up. The data is also stored for 30 days in case officers need to search for a vehicle later as part of an investigation.

Flock technology has been around for years — and in Cedar Rapids since 2024 — but public opinion has begun to sour following nationwide reports of system errors, privacy violations and officer misconduct at certain agencies.

And wrongdoing elsewhere could involve local data, as the Cedar Rapids Police Department shares its Flock data with dozens of state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide. Notably, federal agencies do not have such access.

The cities of Coralville and North Liberty have already dropped their Flock contracts — joining dozens of municipalities nationwide to do the same — and Cedar Rapids City Council member Dale Todd said local officials are aware of the trend.

“I strongly support the technology our police officers use to improve public safety. But legitimate questions have been raised by the public about the use of Flock cameras and other surveillance systems,” he said in an emailed statement.

He continues, “We have made a sincere effort to be transparent about how our system operates. However, some of the troubling incidents reported in other communities demonstrate why we need stronger safeguards, greater transparency and more local control over how information is collected, accessed and shared.”

Enter Axon

Where Coralville and North Liberty nixed the use of automated license plate readers altogether, the city of Cedar Rapids is looking to continue operations under a new vendor: Axon Enterprise, the massive public safety enterprise behind Taser and other public safety products.

The city in June approved a $14.5 million contract with Axon that covers a variety of public safety technology such as the department’s drone, body cameras and tasers. Also included in the contract are 20 outpost license plate readers, which have not yet been installed.

Axon typically draws less scrutiny because it has no nationwide database for ALPR data or default sharing between departments, but the Arizona-based company is not without its detractors — particularly among personal privacy advocates concerned about the rise in everyday surveillance.

Council member Todd said city leaders hope to address those concerns and others at Tuesday’s meeting, which will include a question-and-answer segment about how ALPR cameras are and will be used by Cedar Rapids police.

“Public safety and civil liberties are not mutually exclusive. Our responsibility is to protect both,” wrote Todd, who chairs the city’s public safety committee. “My hope is that this public forum will help shed additional light on these issues, give residents an opportunity to ask questions and help guide our next steps.”

That meeting will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 Fifth Ave. SE. Cedar Rapids residents can submit questions ahead of the event using an online form at tinyurl.com/CRPDtech or submit them in person Tuesday night.