Mayor Orders Harrisburg’s Flock Cameras Covered and Taken Offline

HARRISBURG, Ark. — Mayor Justin Kimble says he has directed that all FLOCK license plate reader cameras owned by the city be covered with black trash bags and taken offline, citing concerns about privacy, oversight and constitutional rights.

Kimble said the cameras will remain covered until he is satisfied that adequate safeguards are in place. He also raised the possibility of having them removed entirely.

“I have made the decision to have all known automated license plate reader cameras belonging to the City of Harrisburg covered with black trash bags and taken offline,” Kimble said in a statement. “They will remain covered.”

The mayor said he spent the past couple of weeks researching Flock Safety cameras and other license plate reader systems. He said he also spoke with lawmakers and private citizens, including Kyle Wigginton, before reaching his decision.

Kimble acknowledged that the technology can help law enforcement find stolen vehicles, missing people and people involved in serious crimes. His concerns centered on how interconnected systems could create records of ordinary residents’ travels and how that information could be retained, searched and shared.

He also questioned potential commercial uses of the information and the use of camera records to build criminal cases without a search warrant.

“I believe we have an obligation to ask some very serious questions about privacy, oversight, due process, and the Fourth Amendment,” Kimble said.

Kimble called on state and federal lawmakers to establish stronger, clearer protections. He said his decision was not opposition to law enforcement or technology.

“It is about recognizing that public safety and constitutional liberty are not mutually exclusive,” he said. “Government should not have to sacrifice one to protect the other.”

Arkansas already has laws governing the technology. State law generally limits law enforcement retention of captured plate data to 150 days, with exceptions for ongoing investigations. It prohibits government entities from selling captured plate data while allowing law enforcement agencies to share data that indicates evidence of an offense.

Flock Safety says its license plate readers capture still images of vehicles and identifying details such as license plates, vehicle makes and colors. The company says its customers control their camera data and that Flock does not sell it.

Flock also says it has adopted a seven-day default retention period for new customers, while existing customers retain their current settings. The company has announced expanded case-code requirements for law enforcement searches and mandatory use of its auditing tool by the end of 2026.

The debate has prompted action elsewhere in Arkansas. NEA Report reported in August that Pea Ridge, Cabot, Mayflower, Centerton, Searcy and Greers Ferry had ended, moved to end or suspended their Flock camera programs.

Kimble’s statement did not specify the number of Harrisburg cameras affected, identify their vendor or describe the city’s existing data retention and sharing policies.

“Technology should serve the people,” Kimble said. “The people should never become servants of the technology.”