Sturgis to end Flock contract due to budget constraints

Beginning December 31, 2026, the Sturgis Department of Public Safety will stop using Flock automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. The city currently operates six Flock ALPR cameras to assist with criminal investigations. The six cameras cost the city about $18,000 annually, Sturgis Department of Public Safety (SDPS) Director Ryan Banaszak told Watershed Voice. 

The city decided not to renew its Flock contract because of budget constraints for the 2027 fiscal year. During the program’s first three years, community partnerships with local businesses funded the cameras. The cameras were initially installed in phases in 2023. 

The cameras will be removed by a contractor as their schedule permits, Banaszak said in an email. 

“Due to budget constraints, and to protect other essential city services and programs, I made the decision not to renew the contract for 2027. I believe Flock cameras are an important tool for law enforcement, and I hope to reinstate the program in the future as the city’s financial position allows.” 

The cameras have drawn criticism from civil liberties groups over privacy concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union has argued that expanding ALPR networks could create a nationwide surveillance system. The advocacy group DeFlock maintains an online map tracking Flock camera locations across the country and encourages local governments to remove the cameras. DeFlock members have spoken at city council and commission meetings nationwide, including a Kalamazoo City Commission meeting in September 2025. Critics have also pointed to a 2023 investigation by 404 Media, which found that a Texas police officer searched Flock’s nationwide ALPR network during an investigation into a woman authorities alleged had a self-managed abortion, as an example of ways the technology can be misused. 

Local law enforcement agencies in Southwest Michigan say the cameras have helped solve crimes and recover stolen vehicles. 

“Flock cameras are a vital tool for law enforcement during investigations of all types. To date, they have played a critical role in solving a range of serious crimes, including a double homicide, robberies, and organized theft rings, as well as recovering numerous stolen vehicles and helping locate individuals wanted on active arrest warrants,” Banaszak wrote. “Investigators and officers rely on this technology on a daily basis.” 

The Three Rivers Police Department currently operates seven cameras throughout the city, costing a total of about $21,000 per year.

What are Flock cameras?

Flock cameras use automated ALPR technology to capture images of passing vehicles and process vehicle information using artificial intelligence before storing it in a cloud database. 

The cameras photograph passing vehicles and use machine learning to identify a vehicle’s license plate, state, make, model, color, and distinguishing features, such as stickers or dents. 

The system compares license plates against databases of stolen or wanted vehicles and alerts law enforcement when it finds a match.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.