Oakland County Ends Two Flock Safety Agreements
Oakland County’s sheriff’s office and Parks Department are ending separate arrangements with surveillance technology company Flock Safety. The sheriff’s office will finish its drone pilot, called Project Prove It, but will not sign a contract for the company’s Drone as First Responder program. Parks will not renew its license-plate reader subscriptions as they expire.
The drone pilot was due to run through December 1, 2026. Records show the sheriff’s office sent notice in early August that it would terminate the agreement on that date. A contract after the free trial could have cost up to $2.5 million. The office said it tested the technology in public-safety operations and will consider other platforms as it replaces its aging drone fleet.
Parks Director Chris Ward said the cameras were installed in 2023 after incidents at some dog parks and were also used to count visitors. He said a review found they had not prevented crime, and that many incidents connected to follow-up investigations had not occurred in the parks. The department will retain security cameras and car-counting measures.
The decisions follow months of public debate over Flock technology and privacy. The sheriff’s pilot drew added scrutiny after it emerged that Flock paid for a trip to its Atlanta headquarters for county board leader Dave Woodward and sheriff’s personnel. Some commissioners said Woodward had not disclosed the trip before an April vote approving a 911 drone trial. The sheriff’s office says it will continue evaluating alternatives.
Oakland County Backs Away From Contested Flock Surveillance
Oakland County’s decision to drop two Flock Safety arrangements is a response to residents’ sustained concerns about surveillance. The sheriff’s office will end its drone pilot on December 1, 2026, rather than move to a contract that could have cost up to $2.5 million. Parks will also let its license-plate reader subscriptions expire.
The sheriff’s office said the pilot helped it evaluate drones for public-safety operations, but it chose to explore other platforms as it replaces its aging fleet. Parks Director Chris Ward said the cameras, installed in 2023 after incidents at dog parks, did not prevent crime. The department will keep security cameras and car-counting measures.
The retreats come after months of public debate about privacy and scrutiny over a trip to Flock’s Atlanta headquarters paid for by the company for board leader Dave Woodward and sheriff’s personnel. Some commissioners said Woodward had not disclosed the trip before an April vote approving a 911 drone trial.
Ending these agreements is a meaningful response to public concern, but it does not settle the broader questions residents have raised about who can access surveillance data and how it is used. The sheriff’s office says it will continue assessing alternatives.
Oakland County Ends Flock Trials Without Abandoning Public Safety Needs
Oakland County is ending its Flock Safety drone pilot and allowing parks’ license-plate reader subscriptions to expire, even as the sheriff’s office says it still needs to replace an aging drone fleet. The office will evaluate other platforms rather than pursue a Flock contract that could have cost up to $2.5 million after the trial.
The sheriff’s office said Project Prove It let it test drone technology in real public-safety operations. Parks Director Chris Ward said the department reviewed the cameras’ benefits and drawbacks and found they had not prevented crime. Parks will retain security cameras and car-counting measures.
Residents have debated Flock technology for months, raising privacy concerns. The controversy also includes a company-paid trip to its Atlanta headquarters for board leader Dave Woodward and sheriff’s personnel; some commissioners said Woodward had not disclosed it before an April vote approving a 911 drone trial.
Privacy concerns deserve consideration, but the county’s own explanation points to practical questions as well: how to replace aging equipment and which tools best support public safety. The sheriff’s office says it will keep evaluating alternatives, while Parks has concluded the Flock subscriptions were not appropriate for its funding and needs.
Reported by WXYZ Detroit, FOX 2 Detroit.
