Sedro-Woolley Cancels Flock Safety ALPR Contract Six Months Into Three-Year Term

First reported: September 26, 2026 · 5 sources

Sedro-Woolley, Washington, has moved to end its Flock Safety automated license plate reader contract roughly six months into an agreement that was set to run through March 2027. Police Chief Dan McIlraith asked Flock to deactivate the cameras immediately, remove the hardware and restore installation sites, and the city is seeking a prorated refund on the $7,100 it paid. The City Council authorized the chief to pursue both early termination and nonrenewal; the city says the cameras are done being used regardless of whether Flock accepts the early exit. According to The Seattle Times, the decision reflected privacy scrutiny, a shrinking regional ALPR network, new legislative requirements, public-records obligations and budget factors.

Why this matters

The reversal shows how records-disclosure costs and the loss of regional data-sharing partners can undercut an ALPR deployment well before a contract expires. It also illustrates a cascade effect: as neighboring agencies withdraw, the stated crime-solving value of the network diminishes for those that remain.

Key facts

City paid $7,100 for a contract running through March 2027; it is requesting a prorated refund and immediate deactivation.
Sedro-Woolley settled a public-records lawsuit over Flock camera records for $40,000 this year; Sedro-Woolley and Stanwood settled for $80,000 combined, per The Seattle Times.
McIlraith said the department used the cameras lawfully and that the decline of the broader ALPR network reduces its ability to solve crimes, but called moving on a good idea for the city.
At least eight other Washington cities — including Olympia, Auburn, Shoreline, Redmond, Lynnwood and Edmonds — have ended or suspended Flock use, per everettpost.com; the Yakima Herald-Republic reports more than 50 agencies or communities statewide have canceled, suspended or rejected contracts or deactivated cameras since the start of 2026.
Agencies elsewhere have reported results: Redmond's chief cited 38% faster case closures and a 72% improvement in stolen-vehicle recovery before that city canceled in July; Spokane County credited Flock data with 88 recovered vehicles and 150 arrests from January 2023 to May 2024.

Timeline

September 26, 2026Sedro-Woolley Ends Flock Safety Camera Contract
September 26, 2026Sedro-Woolley ends use of Flock cameras: 'Time to move on'

Sources

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

Sedro-Woolley Ends Flock Safety Camera Contract (hoodline.com, September 26, 2026)
Sedro-Woolley ends use of Flock Safety cameras (The Seattle Times, September 26, 2026)
'Time to move on': Sedro-Woolley ends use of Flock Safety cameras (goSkagit, September 24, 2026)
Sedro-Woolley ends use of Flock cameras: 'Time to move on' (The Seattle Times, September 26, 2026)
Sedro-Woolley joins Mount Vernon in ending use of Flock cameras (My Bellingham Now, September 25, 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 7, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.