Three years after Dartmouth Police began using Flock Safety surveillance cameras, officials say the technology has helped solve crimes, while some residents are raising concerns about privacy.
The town currently operates five Flock cameras at entry points, according to police spokesperson Keith DaCosta. He said the cameras are intended to assist with criminal investigations—not to track residents’ daily movements—and have already helped solve cases, including shoplifting.
The cameras, made by Georgia-based Flock Safety, collect information on passing vehicles, including license plates, make, model, and other identifying features. The Select Board approved the first four cameras in 2023, with Police Chief Brian Levesque expressing interest in expanding the system in the future.
The cameras cost the town $15,000 annually. DaCosta said access to the data is limited to a small number of detectives, with all searches logged and audited. Dartmouth does not participate in Flock’s nationwide data-sharing network, and information is shared only when another law enforcement agency submits a formal request.
Supporters point to Flock’s role in solving crimes and locating missing people, while critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, warn the technology could enable government overreach, threaten privacy, and rely on artificial intelligence that may produce inaccurate results.
Separate Flock cameras are also installed in the parking lots of Dartmouth’s Home Depot and Lowe’s by the private businesses for theft prevention. A Home Depot representative said the company does not share license plate reader information with federal immigration authorities.
Source: Dartmouth Week.
Four of the FLOCK Cameras we found online.
