At a Monday night Morehead City Council meeting, members voted to let the existing contracts with Flock Safety expire rather than renew them. The decision follows the recent destruction of several license‑plate‑reader units and reflects growing community unease about surveillance and privacy.
Council members weigh benefits and concerns
Council Member Lincoln Caudill opened the discussion by stating, “It makes Americans uneasy at the end of the day. It makes me uneasy, uh, for my people here.” He emphasized the need for elected officials to consider how technology impacts citizens’ sense of safety and freedom.
Council Member Yvonne Baldwin added that city leaders must “listen to its neighbors” as they decide the future of the technology. “I believe strongly that we need to listen to citizens concerned about Flock cameras,” Baldwin said, underscoring the importance of parental‑rights and community input.
Financial implications of ending the contracts
The city currently leases the Flock devices and bears responsibility for any damage. Officials estimated repair costs could reach up to $3,000 per unit. Early termination of the contracts would cost roughly $35,000 in remaining obligations, separate from repair expenses.
Morehead holds two separate agreements with Flock Safety. One runs through June 2027 and the other through February 2028, both containing automatic‑renewal clauses. By formally resolving not to renew, the council avoids future automatic extensions while preserving the ability to negotiate new terms or select a different provider later.
Future options remain on the table
While the contracts will not be renewed, the council did not rule out the use of license‑plate readers altogether. Officials noted that future administrations could revisit the technology, negotiate a new agreement, or explore alternative providers.
One proposal discussed was the creation of a task force that would bring together residents with differing viewpoints to examine the issue in depth. Council Member Edna Schack advocated for a balanced group, saying, “We need to have a task force that includes people from both sides.” The task force would gather expert opinions, research best practices, and provide the public with clearer information to make an informed decision.
Next steps
The task force has not yet been formed, and its timeline will depend on the incoming city leadership. Caudill noted that much of the ongoing conversation could be left to the next administration, stating, “So a lot of this will be on the next administration to decide what they want to do with the task force.”
For now, Morehead’s council has taken a decisive step by allowing the existing Flock contracts to lapse, while keeping the door open for future discussions about the role of license‑plate readers in the community.
Original reporting: LEX18 Lexington (local) — read the source article.
