# Michigan Capitol Commission Drops Flock Cameras as Statewide Surveillance Backlash Grows
LANSING, Mich. -- The Michigan State Capitol Commission has abandoned plans to install Flock Safety's automatic license plate readers around Capitol Square, marking a significant retreat in what has become a growing statewide backlash against the AI-powered surveillance cameras.
Capitol Commission Executive Director Robert Blackshaw confirmed the decision in an email to WKAR News, writing that the idea is "a thought that will not move any further." He added, "The Capitol Commission will NOT be installing any of these cameras around Capitol Square."
The proposal to install the automatic license plate readers, or ALPRs, was discussed by the Capitol Commission last year. Flyers circulated on social media indicated that some Lansing residents planned to attend Monday morning's Capitol Commission meeting to speak out against the cameras, citing privacy concerns.
Statewide Actions
The Capitol Commission's decision comes amid a wave of local actions across Michigan to restrict or eliminate Flock cameras. The Lansing City Council voted 7-1 last week to ask Mayor Andy Schor and the Lansing Police Department to stop using the 26 Flock cameras already installed at seven locations throughout the city.
In Westland, officials decided in July not to renew the city's contract for its 26 Flock cameras. The city of Taylor, which operates 77 automated license plate readers, has a Flock transparency page showing that those cameras detected more than 700,000 unique vehicles in the last 30 days.
According to the open-source project DeFlock, Michigan has more than 3,400 Flock cameras that capture license plate data of vehicles on public roads, with most concentrated in metro Detroit and Grand Rapids.
Legislative Response
The growing backlash has also drawn legislative attention. Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake Township, introduced Senate Bill 1131 in late July. The bill would require a warrant before the government can access automatic license plate reader databases unless an active criminal investigation, missing person case or stolen vehicle investigation is taking place.
The legislation would also require license plate information to be automatically deleted after 14 days if it is not being used for those purposes.
"Passively collecting information 24/7 as people go about their daily lives is a drastic overreach and goes well beyond public safety needs," Runestad said in a news release. "This legislation acknowledges that certain emergency situations can be greatly assisted by this technology, but sensible safeguards need to be put in place."
Privacy Concerns
Privacy advocates have expressed concerns about the potential for police to misuse information from the cameras or share the data with federal agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The cameras, which are assisted by artificial intelligence, take photos of vehicles driving by to create a database of license plates that is searchable by law enforcement.
The Flock cameras operate as part of a nationwide network that has drawn criticism across multiple states. Police in Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and elsewhere have faced allegations of using the cameras to surveil law-abiding citizens.
Flock Safety Response
WKAR News reached out to Flock Safety for comment on the Capitol Commission's decision. The company's media relations team responded with an automated reply stating it was "touching grass and taking a break."
"Unlike our cameras, we can't work 24/7, so we'll get back to you when we've had a snack and regained the ability to form coherent sentences," the company's email read.
The national trend has accelerated in recent months. According to Secure Justice, an Oakland-based anti-surveillance group, 214 cities and counties have dropped Flock since 2021, with 90 jurisdictions ending contracts in August alone, a fourfold increase from prior months.
What's Next
The Senate's surveillance bill will now move through the legislative process. If it passes both chambers and receives the governor's signature, it would establish the first state-level regulatory framework for ALPR data access in Michigan. Local governments that continue operating Flock cameras would need to comply with the warrant requirement and data retention limits.
For Lansing residents, the Lansing City Council's resolution calling for the removal of the city's existing cameras puts pressure on Mayor Schor and the Lansing Police Department to outline a plan for winding down the current installations.