Lincoln Park is the latest Metro Detroit community to cover its Flock Safety license plate-reading cameras as city officials consider whether to continue the city's contract.

LINCOLN PARK, Mich. - Lincoln Park is the latest Metro Detroit community to cover its Flock Safety license plate-reading cameras as city officials consider whether to continue the city's contract.

The City Council passed a resolution Monday directing that the remaining cameras be covered and turned off.


Police Chief Scott Lavis said Flock Safety decommissioned the cameras Tuesday.

It comes after Lavis says eight of the city's 24 cameras have recently been taken out by vandals.

 Ran over, cut down, and some of the wires cut and stuff like that,  Lavis said, describing the damage.

The move places Lincoln Park among several Metro Detroit communities that have stopped using or moved to limit the technology.

South Lyon's City Council voted 5-2 Monday not to renew its Flock Safety contract and ordered police to stop using the cameras immediately, with the lenses covered until the equipment is removed. Ferndale, Westland and Independence Township have also ended their relationships with Flock Safety.

Some Lincoln Park residents have pushed for the cameras to be removed, citing concerns about privacy and potential misuse.

Before the cameras were turned off, Lavis said the department shared data with four federal agencies.

He said the agencies did not include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Residents have also raised concerns about the cost of the contract. Lincoln Park signed a five-year contract with Flock in December 2023.

Lavis said the agreement costs $60,000 per year, at $2,500 per camera.

Lavis said the city initially paid for the service through the forfeiture general fund and later primarily through its Community Development Block Grant, an annual federal grant administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The goal of the grant, according to the city's website, is to provide affordable housing, recreational and e

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