Heights cancels contract with Flock

After weeks of deliberations following months of community unease, the Columbia Heights City Council voted unanimously to not renew the city’s contract with Flock Safety. Connie Buesgens, Columbia Heights councilmember, described the cameras as a “great tool,” citing “disappointment” about trust with the company.

The contract, signed in May 2024, provided automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras in various locations throughout the city.

Many community members raised concerns about privacy and data security, prompting City Manager Aaron Chirpich to begin the process of terminating the Police Department’s use of the cameras. Residents cited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s ability to access the data as a primary concern.

Columbia Heights already restricted out-of-state data sharing in January. In February, the city restricted statewide access to data from Flock cameras.

The city’s contracts with Flock pertain to seven fixed-location cameras and five location-flexible cameras, which can be moved depending on the city’s needs. While the contract was initially for 12 months, it auto-renewed in May 2025 for the following 24 months. The auto-renewal was prepaid by the city.

Therefore, despite ending usage of the tools (removing flexible-location cameras and covering fixed-location cameras with black trash bags), taxpayers are still carrying the cost of $45,000 for camera operation, installation and data management. According to Councilmember Buesgens, the city’s request for reimbursement from Flock was denied.

Prior to the City Council meeting and vote, the city reviewed its ALPR program and contracts at a Town Hall meeting May 14 and subsequent work session on June 1. At the June work session, the Council directed staff to take the steps necessary to terminate all services with Flock and cancel all contracts with the company as soon as possible.

Columbia Heights is following the trend set by many police departments across the country, including Brooklyn Park, which ended its contract with Flock in December 2025.

Councilmembers’ testimonies

Buesgens cited research as a main factor in her decision to vote in favor of terminating the contract.

“I like to look for facts when I have to make decisions, while acknowledging the emotional weight this topic brings forth,” Buesgens said.

In her research, she found only one survey done on the cameras’ data being hacked, which was done by the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights. The survey revealed that the company does not have a direct relationship with Homeland Security, but there are exceptional cases.

For example, there are many cases of “side-door” access, where police departments conduct searches of data on behalf of federal agents. Additionally, ICE has “back-door” access through the company’s national network, which includes local cameras.

“The fact that (Flock) wants FBI to access the data, which, I don’t know what they’re going to do it if the city owns it, but that gave me great pause,” Buesgens said.

Councilmember Laurel Deneen mentioned that the contract is a “living document,” which allows for future changes. She expressed concerns about this, suggesting it could to data vulnerability in the future.

“I’m angry that they cannot be trusted. We are losing a great tool for our police department to use in fighting crime in our city. We have many success stories that in the prior two years the Flock cameras solved crimes … so it angers me that we’re going to lose that tool,” Buesgens said.

Public safety has been a point of contention to the termination as the police department and Flock itself claim that crime prevention will be impeded.

Future investments in safety

Councilmember Rachel James believes that technology is not the only method the city has to ensure safety and looks forward to investing in community policing. The Columbia Heights Police Department recently hired four new officers, bringing the number to a historic high of 31.

“We are seeing from our community that this limited amount of transparency and accountability is not what our community wants.” James said. “We can invest in our community policing, our social worker program and other things that prevent crime, and we can do that without sacrificing our Fourth Amendment right.”

Later this summer, Columbia Heights Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula plans to create a Citizens Technology Advisory Committee which will act as a bridge between public safety departments and interested community members to oversee policy about all technology usage, including potential future cameras.

“I trust new technologies will continue to emerge that can help law enforcement solve crimes in ways that we may not even be aware of right now. Our police department needs tools to investigate crimes and keep residents safe, but we must also carefully protect privacy and the responsible use of personal data. I know that there are community members who support keeping the cameras. I respect their perspective. Balancing public safety, privacy and community trust is not simple,” Simula said.

The mayor and all councilmembers thanked the community members for their input. The meeting had a substantial crowd, and previous work meetings were filled with citizens concerned for their privacy and the privacy of their neighbors. 

The shifting contract with Flock represents a broader redefinition of what safety might look like in Columbia Heights. The unanimous council vote signifies the city’s commitment to the trust of its constituency and resistance to what Buesgens defines as “the larger problem of Trump’s administration and their growing desire to survey us.”

According to the Columbia Heights city website, the Columbia Heights Police Department no longer has access to the Flock database and has shut off data sharing with all agencies. The seven cameras installed by Flock remain in place until they can schedule their removal. More info can be found at https://www.columbiaheightsmn.gov/police/flock.php