Lincoln Park Votes To Hood Flock Cameras While Contract Runs Through 2028

Our Take

Credit to NewMediaAmerica for catching this one: Lincoln Park didn't wait for its Flock contract to expire to hit pause. The council voted to physically hood the cameras while it reviews the program, even though the city is contractually tied to Flock Safety through 2028. That's a notable move — it shows that "we signed a multi-year deal" isn't actually an iron cage. Local governments can still act when residents push back.

This matters because the usual playbook from vendors and city attorneys is to frame these contracts as untouchable once ink hits paper, discouraging councils from even raising concerns. Lincoln Park just demonstrated that hooding cameras — a visible, immediate, reversible step — is a legitimate middle ground between doing nothing and a full rip-out. It buys time for real oversight questions: who's accessing the data, what agencies get query access, and whether the program is doing anything beyond building a permanent record of everyone's movements.

Every town sitting on a Flock contract should be watching what happens next in Lincoln Park. If you want to see whether cameras like these are already watching your streets, check our map, and if you'd rather your city council do what Lincoln Park just did, our action resources can help you make the case.