# Flock Safety Type: Company Source: GetYourBrief — https://getyourbrief.com/entity/flock-safety Canonical HTML page: https://getyourbrief.com/entity/flock-safety ## Timeline - **2026-08-12**: All cameras offline — Chief Mike Ceynowa says all nine stationary devices are offline, with the contract set to expire Sept. 7. - **2026-08-04**: Statewide headlines emerge — Media reports begin surfacing across Minnesota about destroyed or stolen Flock cameras. - **2026-08-03**: Non-renewal notice issued — Duluth Police Department notifies Flock it will not continue the contract, one day before statewide headlines on camera destruction. - **2026-06**: Six cameras stolen or damaged — Duluth police report six of the nine Flock cameras have been stolen or damaged since June. - **2025-09**: One-year Flock stationary camera pilot begins — Duluth deploys nine Flock Safety automated license plate readers in high-traffic areas under a one-year grant. - **2025-04**: Steffman found dead — Before trial, Steffman is found dead in his home; officials rule it a suicide. - **2025-04**: Steffman found dead — Before trial, Steffman is found dead in his home; officials rule it a suicide. - **2024-11**: Steffman arrested — Steffman is arrested on charges of stalking, harassment, and misuse of license plate reader data. - **2024-11**: Steffman arrested — Steffman is arrested on charges of stalking, harassment, and misuse of license plate reader data. - **2024**: Stalking via Flock ALPR begins — Michael Steffman uses his access to Flock’s ALPR database to track Marci Bakely and her daughter, searching their plates approximately 600 times over months. - **2024**: Stalking via Flock ALPR begins — Michael Steffman uses his access to Flock’s ALPR database to track Marci Bakely and her daughter, searching their plates approximately 600 times over months. - **2011**: Duluth adopts mobile license plate readers — Duluth Police Department receives funding for two squad-car license plate readers to help track missing people, stolen vehicles, and Amber or Silver alerts. ## Recent coverage (10 stories, network-wide) ### Flock Backlash Gives Rivals an Opening in 130,000-Camera ALPR Market 2026-08-23 14:14:28 · Sector: startups · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2 Flock Safety's category dominance is under pressure as grassroots backlash creates a rare competitive opening in police surveillance tech. Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada are positioned to capture municipal contracts by differentiating on transparency and governance. For startups and VCs, this is a case study in how public trust can reset a market. Full story: https://getstartupbrief.com/story/startups-flock-alpr-rivals-opportunity ### Flock's Legal Woes Open Door for Rivals in 130,000-Camera ALPR Market 2026-08-23 14:14:19 · Sector: legal · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2 Municipal ALPR contracts face new legal scrutiny as Flock's backlash exposes privacy, procurement, and data-governance risks. Rivals Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada may position themselves as compliant alternatives. Legal and RegTech professionals should watch for contract disputes, regulatory changes, and privacy litigation. Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/flock-legal-woes-alpr-rivals-130000-cameras ### 130,000 ALPR Cameras Spark Privacy Feud; Rivals Tout Cyber Resilience 2026-08-23 14:14:10 · Sector: cyber · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2 Mass ALPR networks are a security and privacy liability, and Flock's public scrutiny has exposed data retention and access concerns across the sector. Cybersecurity teams evaluating police-surveillance vendors must assess camera fleets as attack surfaces. Rivals may win contracts by emphasizing stronger access controls, audit logs, and data minimization. Full story: https://getcyberbrief.com/story/cyber-alpr-privacy-flock-rivals-130000 ### AI Surveillance Feud: 130,000 Flock-Linked Cameras Face Public Backlash 2026-08-23 14:13:58 · Sector: ai · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2 ALPR systems are AI-powered computer vision at scale, and Flock's backlash signals growing public resistance to opaque automated surveillance. For AI and ML teams, the story is about model transparency, data retention, and edge inference. Competitors may differentiate with privacy-preserving AI and on-device processing. Full story: https://getaibrief.com/story/ai-flock-alpr-computer-vision-scrutiny ### Duluth Pulls Flock Cameras After 6 of 9 Devices Stolen or Damaged 2026-08-16 14:21:40 · Sector: cyber · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 2 Physical attacks on police license plate readers in Duluth left six of nine Flock endpoints stolen or damaged and all offline, underscoring endpoint security and data exposure risks for internet-connected public safety devices. Full story: https://getcyberbrief.com/story/duluth-flock-cameras-physical-endpoint-loss ### Duluth Ends Flock LPR Deal After 6 of 9 Cameras Vandalized 2026-08-16 14:20:33 · Sector: legal · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 2 Duluth's non-renewal of Flock Safety's stationary license plate readers tests procurement, vendor performance, and privacy oversight expectations for municipal surveillance contracts. The move follows a six-of-nine camera theft and vandalism rate and lack of sustainable funding. Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/duluth-flock-lpr-contract-termination-legal ### Flock Safety's 30-Day Data Retention Faces County Nonrenewal Vote 2026-08-14 04:08:32 · Sector: legal · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2 Sullivan County's commission weighs a nonrenewal resolution over Flock Safety's ALPR camera data practices, testing what contractual and constitutional guardrails local governments will demand from surveillance vendors as the company announces policy changes. Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/flock-safety-search-mandates-sullivan-county-legal-privacy ### Flock Safety Mandates New Search Rules on 30-Day Stored Camera Data 2026-08-14 04:08:26 · Sector: cyber · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2 Flock Safety's new search mandates on 30-day stored license plate data may harden access controls, but security teams and privacy advocates still question how local departments share vehicle geolocation records across the Tri-Cities. Full story: https://getcyberbrief.com/story/flock-safety-alpr-search-mandates-cyber-privacy ### 600 LPR Lookups: Legal Fallout from Rogue Police Use of Flock Network 2026-08-08 23:08:10 · Sector: legal · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2 A police chief stalked his ex-girlfriend by querying Flock's ALPR system 600 times. The case triggers legal questions about agency oversight, vendor liability, and constitutional privacy protections. Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/600-lpr-lookups-legal-fallout ### Insider Threat: Cop Abuses Flock ALPR 600 Times, Exposing Security Flaws 2026-08-08 23:08:02 · Sector: cyber · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2 A police chief's repeated unauthorized access to Flock's ALPR database demonstrates how insider threats can weaponize surveillance tech, highlighting the need for zero-trust architectures and real-time monitoring. Full story: https://getcyberbrief.com/story/insider-threat-flock-alpr-600-abuse --- This page is a machine-readable summary. Sentiment measures the directional read of each development for this entity, not the tone of the reporting; impact weights consequence, not syndication reach. See https://getyourbrief.com/guides/methodology for the full editorial methodology.