Lowell MA suspends Flock ALPR use (2026)
Lowell, MA — City Council Votes 6-5 to Suspend Use of the Flock Safety License-Plate Reader System Indefinitely Pending a Policy Review and Data-Use Audit (September 22, 2026)
Lowell, MA · Lowell City Council motion of September 22, 2026 suspending Flock Safety ALPR use
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Applies to
- City of Lowell; Lowell Police Department
- Enforced by
- Lowell City Council; City Manager; Lowell Police Department
Lowell's police use 37 Flock cameras that read license plates and share the data with other police agencies, including more than 100 departments across New England and a federal agency. After Boston said Flock had shared its data nationwide against its contract, Lowell's City Council voted 6-5 on September 22, 2026 to suspend the city's use of Flock indefinitely while it reviews how the system is used, how Flock uses the data and how searches are audited. The council also asked for a list of alternatives that do not share data with any outside database. The city manager said the city could arrange the suspension with the company; whether and when it actually took effect was not reported.
Who is protected: Drivers in Lowell whose plates are captured by the city's ALPR network
Legal detail
City of Lowell, Mass. — CITY COUNCIL MOTION approved 6-5 on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2026, to INDEFINITELY SUSPEND the city's use of the FLOCK SAFETY ALPR system pending a policy review of usage, Flock's use of data and the data audit process. YES: Councilors Kim Scott and Vice Mayor Vesna Nuon (makers), Mayor Erik Gitschier, Councilors Sidney Liang, Belinda Juran, Sean McDonough. NO: Sokhary Chau, John Descoteaux, Rita Mercier, Corey Robinson, Daniel Rourke. FACTS: 37 ALPR cameras per the LPD Flock Transparency Portal; 30-day retention; data shared with MA State Police, NH State Police, MA DOC, >100 departments in CT/RI/NH/ME, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (New York also named by City Manager Tom Golden). The council never voted to approve the Flock system originally. IMPLEMENTATION: City Manager Golden said suspension could be accomplished 'working with the company'; Lowell has a Plan E (council-manager) charter, so a council motion directs rather than itself executes administrative action — implementation not confirmed. COMPANION MOTION (Robinson/Gitschier, unanimous): list of alternatives that do not share information to any database. NEXT: executive session on Flock in October 2026. TRIGGER: Boston's disclosure that a Flock 'vendor error' enabled nationwide lookups during its 2025 pilot.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Lowell, MA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Limited |
| Enacted | September 22, 2026 |
| Citation | Lowell City Council motion of September 22, 2026 suspending Flock Safety ALPR use |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | None |
| Topics | police and surveillance AI · consumer data privacy · government use of AI · AI disclosure and transparency |
| News report | Lowell suspends use of Flock cameras — Lowell Sun (Sept. 23, 2026) |
More AI rules in Lowell, MA
- Lowell MA Markley data center diesel generator injunction (2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Lowell MA 360-day data center moratorium (2026) · In effect
Related police and surveillance AI rules elsewhere
- NAACP v. xAI (Colossus 2 Air Pollution) · Blocked / in litigation
- Chatrie v. United States (Fourth Amendment protection for location… · Blocked / in litigation
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Huntington WV Flock contract approved 6-4 (Jul. 14, 2026) · In effect
- ACLU-WV v. Huntington (Flock contract mandamus) · Blocked / in litigation
- Minneapolis rejects Skydio DFR contract 6-6 (Jul. 16, 2026) · In effect
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction. Every entry must carry a verifiable source.