Documented Incident
Duluth Police will not renew Flock Safety contract when it expires September 7
Event: August 11, 2026 · First reported: August 12, 2026 · 5 sources
The Duluth Police Department announced on August 11, 2026 that it will not renew its contract with Flock Safety, having notified the company on August 3 ahead of the agreement's September 7 expiration. The contract had run for 12 months under a grant. The department said it will continue using some automated license plate recognition applications, but did not identify which platforms.
Duluth joins a set of Minnesota cities stepping back from Flock, and its decision to keep using other ALPR tools shows that ending a single vendor contract does not necessarily end plate-reader surveillance in a city.
Key facts
- Duluth PD notified Flock on August 3, 2026 that it would not renew; the contract expires September 7.
- The arrangement was a 12-month grant-funded contract.
- The department said ALPR has helped solve serious crimes locally, including homicides and stolen vehicle cases.
- Duluth says it will continue using some ALPR applications; the specific vendors or platforms were not disclosed.
- FOX 9 reports several other Minnesota cities have also ended Flock agreements amid privacy objections and reported vandalism of cameras.
Timeline
- August 12, 2026Minnesota cities pull back on Flock cameras amid public pushback
- August 11, 2026Duluth Police Department ending contract with Flock
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Minnesota cities pull back on Flock cameras amid public pushback (FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, August 12, 2026)
- Duluth Police Department ending contract with Flock (WDIO.com, August 11, 2026)
- Minnesota cities pull back on Flock cameras amid public pushback (FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, August 12, 2026)
- Duluth Police Department decides to not renew Flock Safety contract (fox21online.com, August 11, 2026)
- Flock grounded: Duluth Police Department ends license plate reader contract (Northern News Now, August 11, 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 August 17, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.