Eastpointe Terminates Contract With Flock Safety Amid Misuse Investigation
The city of Eastpointe has decided to end its contract with Flock Safety after an investigation revealed that two police department employees misused the company's license plate reader system, one for personal reasons and the other in violation of policy.
Detroit, MI, September 16, 2026 — The city of Eastpointe has officially terminated its contract with Flock Safety, a company providing license plate reader technology. This decision follows an internal investigation that uncovered instances of misuse of the system by two employees within the Eastpointe Police Department.
According to details released by the city, the investigation concluded that one police department employee utilized the license plate reader system for personal reasons. The scope or nature of these personal reasons was not specified.
Additionally, a second employee was found to have used the technology in violation of established policy. Specifics regarding the policy violated or the circumstances of this misuse were also not provided.
As a direct consequence of these findings, the city administration determined that ending the contract with Flock Safety was the necessary course of action. The company provides automated license plate readers (ALPR) that capture images of license plates and store them, allowing law enforcement agencies to search the data for investigative purposes.
Details regarding the timeline of the investigation, the dates of the misuse, or when the contract was officially ended were not made available. The specific terms of the contract or any financial implications of its termination were also not disclosed.
This action by Eastpointe highlights concerns regarding data privacy and the appropriate use of surveillance technology by law enforcement agencies. The city has not provided further comment beyond stating that the contract termination was based on the investigation’s findings.
The contractor’s name, Flock Safety, has been reported. The findings indicate misuse by two police department employees, one for personal reasons and another in violation of policy. The outcome of the investigation led to the contract termination.
Information regarding any disciplinary actions taken against the involved employees was not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Noelle Friel, Sara Schulz on www.clickondetroit.com, see more information here.
