Documented Incident
Akron Beacon Journal breaks down terms of city's $1.8M, five-year Flock Safety contract
Event: January 1, 2023 · First reported: October 1, 2026 · 2 sources
The Akron Beacon Journal reviewed the contract Akron City Council approved with Flock Safety in 2023, a five-year agreement worth more than $1.8 million that runs through Dec. 31, 2028. Public safety chief Craig Morgan said the city leases each camera for $2,500, totaling $362,500 annually, with hardware remaining Flock's property. The network has grown to 145 cameras citywide. Under the contract, Akron owns the captured images, video and audio, while Flock holds a limited license to use that data to deliver its services and may retain anonymized data for product development; the agreement states Flock does not own and will not sell either customer data or anonymized data.
Contract language determines who controls license plate data, who can search it, and under what conditions it can be disclosed — details that are often not publicly examined until after a surveillance network is already built out.
Key facts
- Akron City Council approved the five-year Flock contract in 2023 for more than $1.8 million; it expires Dec. 31, 2028.
- The city pays $2,500 per camera per year, or $362,500 annually, for 145 cameras; Flock retains ownership of the hardware.
- The contract permits Flock to disclose data to law enforcement, government officials or third parties when legally required or when Flock has a good faith belief disclosure is reasonably necessary for legal process, enforcement, security, fraud or emergencies.
- Services include searching the statewide and nationwide Flock network, 'Vehicle Fingerprint' searches by make, color, decals and other features, NCIC hot list alerts, and custom plate watch lists.
- City officials said they recognize the need to discuss the network's tradeoffs publicly; critics have raised privacy concerns.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- What is (and isn't) allowed under Flock's contract with Akron? (Akron Beacon Journal, October 1, 2026)
- What is (and isn't) allowed under Flock's contract with Akron? (kentucky.com, October 1, 2026)
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About this record
BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated October 2, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.