Bloomington’s Flock license plate reader technology contract ends this weekend.  

Police Chief Mike Diekhoff confirmed at Wednesday’s city council meeting that the contract was not renewed after privacy concerns. 

After protests against the city’s use of Flock cameras for law enforcement, city council passed a resolution last month requiring the mayor’s office and the police to deliver a full brief on the location of cameras and contract with Flock Safety.

Diekhoff said the technology identifies vehicle locations to help solve crimes quickly. 

“The Bloomington Police Department has taken deliberate steps to implement Flock responsibly with strong policy, strict access controls and regular audits,” he said.  

Critics including council member Dave Rollo believe the system is a surveillance tool with data that could get in the wrong hands. 

“I think it’s a proven concern, I think that we’ve seen the misuse around the country and it’s alarming to me,” Rollo said. 

Read more: New building owner replaces Black Lives Matter mural with IU football

Currently, the city operates 11 permanently mounted license plate readers, four video cameras, and four mobile trailers capable of license plate reading, video recording and gunshot detection.

Diekhoff said the downtown video camera contracts are under legal guidance on how to be terminated. He’s working with the mayor on whether to shut them down in the meantime. 

He also said the department is looking at replacing the Flock system with other brands not tied to the Flock network. 

The IU Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff’s Office also use license plate readers, as does the Indiana State Police.