South Portland’s Flock cameras have been removed

 A Flock camera on a pole at Cash Corner in South Portland, one of seven in the city that have since been taken down. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer) South Portland’s seven automated license place cameras have been removed, and the city no longer has an account with Flock Safety. Flock confirmed that the cameras had been taken down as of June 22, according to a city press release, nearly two weeks after the South Portland City Council voted to immediately end the city’s use of the surveillance technology. Related [South Portland will stop using Flock cameras](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/11/south-portland-will-stop-using-flock-cameras/) The cameras were disabled on June 11, the day the council voted, but the city had to wait for Flock representatives to remove the equipment, according to City Manager Scott Morelli. The removal came a few months after the police department requested $26,000 to extend the contract with Flock Safety and add an additional camera. The city [withdrew the budget request](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/12/south-portland-withdraws-request-for-additional-flock-camera/) and scheduled a public workshop following mounting public concern over their use.  The city had seven Flock cameras — two near Interstate 295 by Pape Chevrolet, two on Western Avenue by Maine Mall Road, two at Cash Corner and one on Maine Mall Road — that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to scan and log the license plate, model, color and other identifying information, like bumper stickers, of every vehicle that passes through their field of view. Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company that contracts with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies across the country, has come under fire over who has access to the data it collects. A report last year found that the company shared [data with federal immigration and border authorities](https://www.404media.co/cbp-had-access-to-more-than-80-000-flock-ai-cameras-nationwide/). Many residents objected to these cameras, with concerns about who had access to the city’s data and whether the police department could be certain about the system’s security. A majority of city councilors said that there were too many unknowns to continue using these cameras. Some expressed interest in future committee or workshop discussions about safety and privacy. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [south portland police department](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/south-portland-police-department/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dana-richie) [Dana RichieStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dana-richie) Dana Richie is a community reporter covering South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. Originally from Atlanta, she fell in love with the landscape and quirks of coastal New England while completing her undergraduate. [More by Dana Richie](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dana-richie)