Groton, Massachusetts Ends Flock Safety Contract Amid Statewide Officer Misuse Investigations

First reported: August 31, 2026 · 1 source

Groton officials have terminated the town's contract with Flock Safety and shut off its automated license plate reader cameras following several weeks of internal review by Town Manager Mark Haddad and Police Chief Michael Luth. Luth said the cameras had been valuable for investigations but that community trust and transparency took priority. Rather than banning the technology outright, the town formed a police camera working group that will bring a permanent recommendation to voters at the spring 2027 town meeting. The cancellation comes as several Massachusetts departments face allegations that officers misused Flock systems to track individuals.

Why this matters

Groton's decision to pause the technology and route a permanent decision through a town meeting vote offers one model for how communities can handle surveillance procurement disputes, and the surrounding Massachusetts cases illustrate how internal audits and state certification bodies are being used to test ALPR accountability.

Key facts

Groton shut off its Flock cameras and formed a working group that will bring a recommendation to voters at the spring 2027 town meeting.
In Stow, Officer Jason Rogers resigned hours before a termination hearing after an internal affairs investigation found he improperly used state criminal databases and Flock cameras to track a former partner; police pursued criminal charges and the report was sent to the Massachusetts POST Commission.
In New Bedford, Officer Emily Pacheco was placed on administrative leave in August after an ex-girlfriend's abuse prevention order alleged she used Flock cameras to stalk her, according to the Institute for Justice; a Lynn Police Department internal audit reportedly found unauthorized searches and led to two officers being placed on leave.
Hopkinton terminated its contract on August 20 after a legal review concluded the agreement did not comply with state procurement law; Auburn and Douglas ended programs on August 25, Littleton on July 30, and Cambridge canceled after unauthorized camera installations.
Flock Safety announced safeguard changes on August 13, including reducing default recommended data retention from 30 days to 7 days, requiring search case codes, and automated lockouts; Newsweek reported at least 149 local governments nationwide had canceled, deactivated, or rejected Flock systems as of late August.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

Groton Cuts Ties With Flock Cameras as Officer Stalking Scandals Rock Massachusetts (Hoodline, August 31, 2026)

More from Massachusetts

Everything we have documented in Massachusetts, or search every Massachusetts article in the archive.

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 September 1, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.