Centerton city leaders weigh in after council votes to terminate Flock Safety contract
The short version: Centerton's city council dropped Flock Safety after public pushback, proving organized residents can roll back ALPR surveillance even after it's installed.
Our Take
Centerton did something most city councils won't: they listened. A unanimous vote to terminate a Flock Safety contract after sustained public pressure is a rare reversal in a surveillance market that usually only grows. 5NEWS deserves credit for covering local officials explaining their reasoning on camera, which is more transparency than most ALPR deals ever get.
What makes this notable isn't just the outcome, it's the proof of concept. Flock's pitch to small towns is always the same: crime-fighting convenience with little scrutiny of who else gets access to the data, how long it's retained, or whether it actually reduces crime. When residents show up and push back hard enough, apparently even a signed contract isn't permanent. That's a lesson other communities sitting on the fence should take seriously.
Centerton's cameras may be gone, but plenty of nearby towns are still running them. Check our map to see what's deployed near you, and if you want to push your own council toward a vote like this one, our take-action page has the tools to get started.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of 5NEWS, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.