Documented Incident
Mayflower, Arkansas Police Halt Flock Camera Use, Following Cabot's Shutdown
Event: August 10, 2026 · First reported: August 10, 2026 · 5 sources
Mayflower Interim Police Chief Brittany B. Byrd announced on August 10, 2026 that the department has discontinued use and deployment of its Flock Safety license plate readers, effective immediately. The department said the cameras had aided investigations and prosecutions, including in Mayflower, but concluded the technology is intrusive and that it would not use tactics infringing on the liberties of law-abiding citizens. Mayflower signed a multiyear Flock contract in 2023 that runs through September 2027, and physical removal of equipment along with remaining contractual obligations are still being negotiated. The move follows Cabot, where officials suspended police access, blocked outside agency access, unplugged the cameras from solar batteries and covered them.
Two neighboring Arkansas cities have suspended ALPR programs mid-contract, raising questions about how municipalities exit multiyear surveillance agreements and who controls access to collected data. The decisions add to a state-level debate over whether the public-safety benefits of plate readers justify their privacy costs.
Key facts
- Mayflower announced the discontinuation on August 10, 2026; its Flock contract began in 2023 and runs through September 2027.
- Interim Chief Brittany Byrd described the technology as intrusive while acknowledging it has aided investigations and prosecutions.
- Cabot police suspended department and outside-agency access; city workers unplugged and covered the cameras. Cabot has not said whether removal will be permanent.
- Mayflower did not disclose the number of cameras, contract cost, removal timeline, or whether the city faces financial penalties.
- Fairfield Bay Mayor Seth Connell has publicly criticized widespread ALPR networks; Flock Safety says its cameras capture vehicle rather than facial data and that customer agencies set access, sharing and retention policies.
Timeline
- August 10, 2026Mayflower Follows Cabot in Halting Flock Cameras as Arkansas Privacy Debate Grows
- August 11, 2026City of Mayflower ends its use of Flock cameras
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Mayflower Follows Cabot in Halting Flock Cameras as Arkansas Privacy Debate Grows (Arkansas Radio, August 10, 2026)
- City of Mayflower ends its use of Flock cameras (Newsbreak, August 11, 2026)
- Three Arkansas cities suspend Flock Safety cameras as debate over surveillance grows (KATV, August 11, 2026)
- Arkansas Cities Reconsider Flock License Plate Cameras Amid Privacy Concerns (KVOM 101.7, August 11, 2026)
- City of Mayflower discontinuing use of Flock cameras | Here's why (thv11.com, August 10, 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.