Everyone is recorded
The cameras don't wait for a warrant or a suspect. They capture every car, so law-abiding residents end up in a searchable database.
Lowell, Massachusetts
Not just suspects. Every resident, every commuter, every visitor. We're Lowell neighbors asking the City Council to remove automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras from our city.
ALPR cameras photograph the license plate of every passing vehicle and record when and where it was seen. Over time, those records add up to a map of where people go.
The cameras don't wait for a warrant or a suspect. They capture every car, so law-abiding residents end up in a searchable database.
Councilors have said there will be no data sharing. But every written document we've seen, including the police department's own policy, still allows it, and the contract with Flock hasn't been made public, so no resident can check what Flock itself may do with our data. We still don't know which local and federal agencies are allowed access.
In September the Council voted in public to suspend the cameras. Two weeks later it reversed that vote in a closed session. Residents found out from the news.
Hear about meetings and votes before they happen. We'll only use your details to contact you about DeFlock Lowell.
Sign me upOpens a short Google Form. No Google account needed.
Any resident can speak. A minute from a neighbor counts for more than you'd think.
Upcoming meetings: Tuesday, Nov 17 and Tuesday, Nov 24, 6:30 PM
Council Chamber, City Hall, 375 Merrimack St.
Flock isn't on the Nov 17 agenda, and you register to speak on a specific agenda item. The Nov 24 agenda isn't posted yet. If Flock is on it, we need residents there to speak, and we'll post the item here as soon as it's out.
Register to speak by emailThe button opens an email to City Clerk Michael Geary (mgeary@lowellma.gov) with the details to fill in. Send it before 4 PM on meeting day and name the agenda item, which you'll find in the city's Agenda Center. Meetings are in person only.
Read our talking points →A short, personal note from a constituent carries real weight. Say where you live and what you want them to do.
Copy a ready-to-send message → Find your councilor → See camera locations on the DeFlock map →Speaking at a meeting or writing to a councilor? Start with your name and your neighborhood. Then ask for three things.
Make the Flock contract public: what it costs, when it renews, and what Flock is allowed to do with our data.
"Residents are being asked to trust a deal that no one outside City Hall has seen. At least one councilor voted without seeing it either."
Debate and vote on Flock in open session, after residents have had a chance to speak.
"In September you voted in public to suspend these cameras. In October you reversed that behind closed doors. Whether Lowell tracks its residents' cars is a policy decision, and policy belongs in public."
Put "no data sharing" in writing, in police policy and in the contract. Say who checks it, and publish the audits.
"Councilors have said there will be no data sharing. But all of the city's written material still allows it. A promise isn't a safeguard. Rules only count when they're written down and someone checks them."
Sources: the released Oct 6 Council minutes (PDF) and the Lowell Police ALPR policy, General Order 330.08 (PDF). More coverage is on our press page.
And if you only have ten seconds: we want the cameras gone. Until they are, release it, open it, write it.
Everyone in Lowell is represented by one district councilor and three at-large councilors. Contact all four. Not sure which district you're in? Find your ward and precinct on the city's ward and precinct map, or call the Council office and ask.
Copy it, add your details, and make it your own. A sentence about why this matters to you does more than any template.
Dear Councilor,
I live in [your neighborhood] in Lowell, and I'm writing about the city's Flock license plate cameras.
In September the Council voted in public to suspend the cameras. In October it reversed that vote in a closed session. I'm asking you to do three things:
1. Release the Flock contract, including what it costs and when it renews.
2. Debate and vote on the cameras in open session, after public comment.
3. Put the "no data sharing" promise in writing, in police policy and in the contract, and publish the audits.
Please let me know where you stand. Thank you.
[Your name]
[Your street]
Council office: 978-674-4040. To email a councilor, use the contact links in the city's staff directory.