Crystal Police Remove Flock License Plate Readers After Community Backlash

The Crystal Police Department is removing its automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and ending its service with Flock Safety, a company that provided the ALPR equipment placed throughout the community.

Chief Brian Hubbard posted the announcement on the Crystal Police Facebook page. This comes one week after the Crystal Police Department held a community meeting on ALPRs in its community.

The neighbors who spoke in the meeting all shared a variety of concerns about the Flock ALPRs.

“Based on the questions that have been raised and the feedback we’ve received from community members who engaged us, we have made the decision to end our service with Flock Safety for the ALPRs we have in Crystal,” Hubbard wrote in the statement. “While some have called for a ‘pause’ of our use of Flock ALPRs, we have determined the best path forward for our community is to completely end our involvement in its entirety.”

There were six cameras in Crystal, primarily at high-traffic areas.

Hubbard said in the statement that the police department physically removed all six and is in the process of returning them to the company. They also turned off data sharing with other agencies.

“While the use of this tool has been beneficial in solving crimes, recovering property, arresting suspects, and bringing justice to victims, the questions and concerns we’ve heard from many in the community are vitally important ones,” Hubbard wrote. “We hear and understand the issues that have been expressed, including privacy concerns, data collection and sharing, state laws, and the potential for misconduct.”

Crystal citizens stand up, some holding ‘No ALPRs’ signs at the September 2 community meeting. (Source: YouTube)

Community Crusader

Before the cameras were removed, Crystal resident Brady O’Rourke made a habit of covering the one on West Broadway up. He made his homemade Flock cover using a roof rake and some poster board– enough height to block the camera from reading license plates.

“I see that as a way to effectively protest it,” O’Rourke said. “I have people cheering, waving, honking. It’s a universally positive experience!”

We saw that firsthand when following O’Rourke on one of his flock-blocking missions. He thinks this response shows where the community stands.

“I just know that I don’t want to be watched,” O’Rourke said. “I don’t want that level of searchable surveillance that’s literally at the end of my block here.”

That take was corroborated by the amount of residents who attended, and spoke at the community meeting.

“It’s a great thing to solicit that opinion. I feel it was also, at the same time, 14 months too late,” O’Rourke said.

Brady O’Rourke holds up a sign that serves a dual purpose– promoting his website and blocking the Flock ALPR. The ALPR on West Broadway has since been removed.

The Lead-Up

Crystal police held the community meeting on Sept. 2. Hubbard opened the meeting by explaining Crystal’s history with Flock.

The cameras were used on squad cars from 2014 until 2018. This new iteration of the tech is different, as it shares data across multiple different law enforcement agencies across the state.

Crystal Deputy Police Chief Pete Underthun followed up by sharing details on Flock usage in Crystal.

The most recent ALPRs came from a Minnesota auto theft grant, which covered the cost of five ALPRs. The city council approved a grant agreement, and a contract with Flock in June 2025, which were incrementally installed through June 2026.

In the meeting, Hubbard said he didn’t realize there would be a controversy until citizens spoke up. At least 20 unidentified residents spoke up in the meeting with worries about abuse of power and excessive surveillance.

Hubbard ended the meeting saying they want to make decisions on what to do with the cameras “in short order.”

The community response is a part of a growing nationwide concern against Flock Safety’s AI-powered license plate readers.

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