Documented Incident
New Bedford City Council to vote Sept. 24 on ordinance restricting license plate reader use
First reported: September 11, 2026 · 3 sources
New Bedford city councilors are scheduled to vote Sept. 24 on a draft ordinance from Councilor-at-large Shane Burgo that would require council approval and public input before the city adopts, renews or expands automated license plate reader technology, and would bar renewal of the city's Flock contract expiring Nov. 12. The proposal would also mandate a privacy and civil liberties impact assessment, independent audits, public reporting and disclosure of camera locations. Police Chief Jason Thody, who inherited the system, told councilors it was implemented without adequate safeguards and that he would not renew the contract in its current form, though he wants to retain ALPR capability with new controls. Mayor Jon Mitchell's office, through spokesperson Jonathan Darling, said the council was moving too quickly and should let Thody finish developing reforms.
The dispute shows how a technology adopted without public notice can become the subject of retroactive rulemaking, and it tests whether a city council or a mayor's office controls ALPR procurement decisions. The outcome may serve as a template for other Massachusetts municipalities acting in the absence of statewide ALPR regulation.
Key facts
- The draft ordinance would require council approval, public input, an impact assessment, independent audits, public reporting and disclosure of device locations; Burgo said it is not a permanent ban.
- New Bedford police adopted Flock in late 2024 under then-Chief Paul Oliveira with state grant funding and no public announcement; councilors said they learned of the deployment only this summer.
- Chief Thody ordered an audit on July 31, said no audits had previously been conducted and called the existing department policy boilerplate; two cameras were recently removed and the system is suspended.
- Councilor Joe Lopes proposed a seven-day data retention limit; the department had been keeping images 30 days and Thody suggested 14 days. The amendment failed as councilors sought more time.
- The ACLU of Massachusetts says more than 25 municipalities in the state have canceled, suspended or declined to renew Flock contracts; a state judge recently ruled the Massachusetts State Police had not met its burden for withholding plate reader location records.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- City Council to vote on ordinance restricting Flock use (The New Bedford Light, September 11, 2026)
- Rockingham County leaders pass ordinance restricting flock camera use, privacy of citizens (Newsbreak, September 10, 2026)
- Rockingham County leaders pass ordinance restricting flock camera use, privacy of citizens (WXLV, September 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 September 13, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.