Syracuse Police Department officials on Thursday “moved to unplug” Flock Safety’s license plate readers, which remain on city property weeks after a May deadline for the company to remove its hardware, Chief Mark Rusin said in a statement.  Lawmakers in March revoked the company’s privi leges to operate its artificial intelligence-powered scanners in the city, citing potential privacy concerns presented by the company’s surveillance systems. The lawmakers approved a new license plate reader contract with Axon Enterprise, a rival surveillance manufacturer whose deep ties to the federal government continue to rankle local activists. But months after Mayor Sharon Owens signed the council’s revocation ordinance into law and gave the company 60 days to remove its hardware from Syracuse, the Flock readers remained installed. In Evanston, Illinois and Dayton, Ohio, public officials similarly cut ties with Flock, but lacked clarity as to whether the company’s still-installed readers were continuing to scan license plates. Both cities ordered city employees to wrap trash bags around the readers to ensure they could no longer surveil drivers. Syracuse police’s move to unplug the cameras came after a Central Current reporter on June 9 asked city spokespeople and Flock why Flock readers were still installed after the deadline in the city’s legislation. The inquiry included multiple other questions about Flock’s readers.  Flock Safety has yet to respond to the inquiry.  “Flock was required to remove their cameras from the City right of ways within 60 days,” wrote city spokesperson Sol Muñoz. “The City is currently weighing its options and cannot comment on ongoing legal strategy.” Muñoz did not answer why the Flock readers remained up nor whether they were reading license plates while they remained on city rights of way.  The city and police department did not answer the following questions: Has the City of Syracuse asked Flock Safety why its readers are still in Syracuse? Are the Flock license plate readers in Syracuse turned off? If yes, how does the City know that the readers are turned off? Given the uncertainty surrounding the functionality of Flock readers in other cities despite revoked privileges and terminated contracts, is the City of Syracuse considering removing the Flock hardware from city property?  Do SPD officers still have access to Flock’s servers? Central Current followed up with Muñoz on Wednesday to ask whether Flock Safety license plate readers that remain on city property were still scanning license plates. Police officials on Thursday “moved to unplug” the readers.  “On March 27, 2026, Flock was notified of the adoption of the ordinance and their obligation to comply. Thereafter, on April 14, 2026, the company was again notified of the obligation to remove their equipment from the [right of way],” Rusin wrote. “Due to Flock’s inaction, the City moved to unplug the cameras today.” Rusin wrote that since November 2025, city officials have been focusing their efforts on installing Axon license plate readers to “minimize any lapse in coverage” for the police department. Central Current has asked the city to explain the process of unplugging the readers. The company’s website appears to market the tools as wireless.  Flock’s website touts that its license plate readers “run primarily on LTE and solar panels, ensuring no hidden costs. You don’t need to run electricity, wifi, or anything else to them.” On the landing page for its license plate reader marketing information, Flock markets LPRs as “… cameras that install anywhere — no IT, no wiring, no hassle.” Cities across the country are reconsidering their contracts with Flock Safety, which has amassed more than 5,000 clients including law enforcement agencies, schools, businesses, and home owners associations. The company promotes interconnectivity among all the clients that opt into sharing data with Flock’s national network, but allows clients to choose not to share data with outside actors. Last year, a series of investigative reporting from digital publication 404 Media detailed how multiple municipalities lacked clarity on where their Flock LPR data was going, and how federal immigration agents were leveraging Flock’s national network. In Syracuse, a Central Current inquiry prompted the Syracuse Police Department to disclose that it had “inadvertently” opted into Flock’s national data sharing network. The data exposure resulted in law enforcement officers around the country performing 4.4 million searches of Syracuse’s license plate reader data between June 2024 and July 2025. Those searches included 2,097 “immigration-related” searches. In September, new investigative reporting revealed that Flock had quietly granted access to its servers to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Syracuse drivers’ data was included in 175 “CBP-related searches” from March 10 to May 1, 2025, Syracuse police told Central Current.  Syracuse Common Councilor Donna Moore, who chairs the council’s public safety committee, praised the city’s handling of the Flock Safety license plate readers. “The city is doing everything it can to protect its citizens,” Moore wrote. “The council and police agree on that.” A timeline of Central Current’s Flock Safety coverage Aug. 13, 2024: A study found Syracuse’s new license plate readers make frequent mistakes. Councilors didn’t know before approving them. March 20, 2025: Syracuse police collect countless data points. How vulnerable is that data to ICE? June 18, 2025: Syracuse police have access to a nationwide network of license plate reader data. Who has access to theirs? July 4, 2025: Syracuse police ‘inadvertently’ exposed driver data to thousands of cops around the country July 7, 2025: Syracuse lawmakers plan to question police about sharing drivers’ data: ‘We’ll dig a little bit’ July 22, 2025: A simple step by Syracuse police exposed drivers’ data to millions of searches, deputy chief says Sept. 5, 2025: Syracuse University is installing controversial license plate readers. One privacy expert calls it a ‘big middle finger to immigrants’ Sept. 11, 2025: Federal immigration agents accessed Syracuse drivers’ data through secret Flock Safety deal Nov. 14, 2025: Will Syracuse lawmakers end Flock’s ability to put license plate readers near city streets? Nov. 20, 2025: Syracuse lawmakers could upend two SU-owned license plate scanners before they are installed on city property Nov. 24, 2025: Syracuse lawmakers cut SU’s plans for Flock readers on city property, table similar vote on police’s readers Dec. 10, 2025: Why Flock will get to keep Syracuse drivers’ ‘anonymized’ data even if lawmakers cancel their contract Jan. 14, 2026: Local advocates want to ‘melt’ Syracuse’s links to ICE. Will lawmakers listen? Jan. 29, 2026: How Mayor Sharon Owens plans to wrangle oversight of the surveillance technology her administration inherited Feb. 5, 2026: Syracuse police to pitch lawmakers on switching license plate reader provider Feb. 9, 2026: Syracuse lawmakers approve contract for Axon license plate readers, plan to block Flock Safety from city streets Feb. 9, 2026: Why Syracuse lawmakers’ voting session became a meltdown between activists and lawmakers Feb. 13, 2026: Syracuse wants to break up with Flock. Not so fast, company says. March 23, 2026: Syracuse lawmakers ice out Flock Safety in favor of company contracting with ICE The post Syracuse police ‘moved to unplug’ Flock Safety scanners months after revoking company’s privileges appeared first on Central Current. ...read more read less