Why are cities putting garbage bags over Flock cameras instead of removing them?

Cities that have cancelled their contracts with Flock Safety are unable to remove the devices on their own, so they cover them as a stopgap to signal the camera is no longer part of the local program.

How many localities have cancelled or deactivated Flock cameras?

One report citing NPR says at least 30 localities have deactivated Flock cameras or cancelled contracts since early 2025, while another widely shared post puts the number at 54 across 23 states, though the sources and counting methods differ.

What do automated license plate readers actually collect?

ALPRs photograph passing vehicles and log plate information, and when many readers feed into a shared system, the data can show where a vehicle has been and when.

What questions should residents ask their city about a local camera program?

Key questions include how long data is retained, which agencies inside or outside the city can search it, whether a warrant or documented reason is required for a search, and what happens to stored data when a contract ends.

Flock Cameras Covered in Garbage Bags as Cities Cancel Contracts

Q: Do the garbage bags actually stop the cameras from working?

Covering a lens may stop it from seeing plates, but the article describes it as a symbolic and practical gesture rather than a legal resolution, and notes the source does not detail what happens to data after cancellation.

A strange sight is showing up on American streets: Flock cameras covered with garbage bags. According to a Jalopnik report, some cities that have cancelled their contracts with Flock Safety cannot take the cameras down themselves, so they are hiding them instead. It is a low-tech fix, and a telling one. When Flock cameras are covered and cities cancel contracts, the bags make visible a question that is usually invisible: who really controls the surveillance hardware bolted to local poles?

Why cities are covering Flock cameras instead of removing them

The Jalopnik piece describes the situation plainly. Cities have voted to end their agreements, but they are unable to remove the devices on their own. The garbage bag is a stopgap that signals the camera is no longer part of the local program, even though the hardware is still standing.

It is worth being careful about what a bag does and does not accomplish. Covering a lens may stop it from seeing plates, but it is a symbolic and practical gesture rather than a legal resolution. The source article does not detail every contract or what happens to data after a cancellation, so residents should ask their own city for those specifics.

The trend is also not isolated. Search coverage points to a growing list of municipalities acting. One report citing NPR says at least 30 localities have deactivated Flock cameras or cancelled contracts since early 2025, and CBS Colorado reported that the Fort Collins City Council voted to immediately cancel its contract. Another widely shared post puts the number of municipalities that have cancelled, declined to renew, or rejected contracts at 54 across 23 states. Those tallies come from differing sources and counting methods, so treat them as indicators of momentum, not a precise count.

What license plate reader networks collect and who can access it

Automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, photograph passing vehicles and log plate information. Our explainer, Flock Cameras Explained: Fourth Amendment Fears Mount, notes that these small, solar-powered devices have spread so widely that there is a good chance your plate has been captured even if you never noticed a camera.

One camera is a snapshot. A network is a timeline. When many readers feed into a shared system, the data can show where a vehicle has been and when, which is the heart of the privacy debate. Key questions for any local program include:

How long is the data retained?
Which agencies, inside or outside your city, can search it?
Is a warrant or documented reason required for a search?
What happens to stored data when a contract ends?

These are exactly the kinds of details that a cancelled contract can leave unanswered, which is why the garbage bag image resonates. The camera may be covered, but the policy questions remain.

Where courts and lawmakers are pushing back on Flock surveillance

The pushback is not only coming from city councils. In Oklahoma, a judge ruled that mass surveillance through license plate readers is unconstitutional without a warrant, in a case tied to a 91-pound methamphetamine bust. We covered that decision in Oklahoma Judge Strikes Down Warrantless Plate Reader Tracking.

Politics is moving too. Candidates in Wisconsin have taken different positions, as detailed in Wisconsin Governor Hopefuls Split on Flock Camera Surveillance, and in Indiana the debate over how much power police should have to track drivers is being weighed in Indiana's Flock camera surveillance discussion. Broader setbacks for the company are summarized in Flock Safety ALPR Surveillance Hits Setbacks This Month.

One caution from the search results: some community discussions note that cities have cancelled Flock and moved to other vendors using similar technology. Ending one contract does not automatically end plate-reader surveillance in a town.

How residents can press for limits on local surveillance tech

You do not need to be technical to influence these decisions. Local governments approve contracts in public meetings, and that is where change has been happening.

Read the contract. Ask for the agreement, data retention terms, and sharing rules through a public records request.
Speak at council meetings. Specific questions about retention, access, and removal carry more weight than general opposition.
Push for written policy. Ask for rules on warrants, audits, and public reporting before any renewal or new vendor is approved.
Ask about exit terms. A contract should say who removes hardware and what happens to stored data if the city cancels.
Watch for vendor swaps. If a city drops one provider, ask whether a replacement is planned and under what rules.

What This Means For You

For drivers, the main point is that your movements may be logged by systems you never agreed to and rarely see. The garbage bags show that even a city that wants out can find the exit complicated. Your best leverage is local: councils, public records, and clear policy requirements. A VPN does not hide a license plate on a public road, so engagement with local policy matters more here than any personal tool.

Takeaways

The sight of Flock cameras covered after cities cancel contracts is memorable, but the real story is about control, data, and accountability. Start by learning how these systems work in our Flock Cameras Explained piece, which also covers the legal risks. Then follow the court rulings and legislative debates in the related coverage above, and bring your questions to your next city council meeting.