ATHENS — The Athens Police Department will not renew its contract with Flock Safety, the automated license-plate and surveillance camera company, Mayor Steve Patterson announced Monday during a city council meeting.
The decision follows months of sustained public concern over the technology. Residents have repeatedly pressed council and the department about privacy and civil-liberties questions surrounding the camera network, which the city police and the Athens County Sheriff’s Office have used since 2024.
Flock Safety cameras capture vehicle and location data as part of an investigative tool police leaders have credited with helping close cases. The Athens police chief has previously said the technology proved helpful in solving crimes, even as distrust grew among residents.
Patterson’s announcement drew on that tension directly, framing the non-renewal as a response to the community’s stated concerns rather than a verdict on the tool’s effectiveness.
Residents who spoke at Monday’s meeting also raised fresh concerns about flooding, telling council the city has not been answering their calls on the issue.
No timeline was given for when the Flock cameras will be deactivated or removed, and it was not immediately clear whether the sheriff’s office, which uses the same technology countywide, plans any changes of its own.
