Glocester votes to remove Flock cameras amid privacy debate

GLOCESTER, R.I. — Glocester is joining a growing list of Rhode Island communities moving away from Flock cameras.

The Town Council voted 4-1 to remove the town’s license plate readers following a meeting where residents raised concerns about privacy, data access and the technology’s use beyond local law enforcement.

Glocester Police Chief Jeffrey Jenison urged officials to keep the system, saying the cameras had helped police in roughly 50 cases since 2023, including investigations involving stolen vehicles, hit-and-runs, burglaries, missing people and other crimes.

Jenison also said officers must provide an investigative reason when searching the system and that audits had not identified misuse.

Despite those arguments, a majority of the council voted to discontinue the cameras. Vice President Walter Steere cast the only vote against removing them.

The decision comes as automated license plate readers face increasing scrutiny across Rhode Island over how vehicle information is collected, stored and shared.

South Kingstown, Narragansett and North Kingstown have also moved to cancel their Flock contracts.

The growing opposition has turned the cameras into a statewide debate over whether their value as a law enforcement tool outweighs concerns about privacy and data collection.