DOUGLAS, Mass. — The Douglas Police Department has announced it will discontinue the use of Flock cameras in Town, deactivating all department accounts and cameras effective immediately.
In a statement, the department said the Flock system had been an effective investigative tool and had played an instrumental role in helping officers solve several serious crimes.
However, police said the decision comes amid what they described as a “divisive atmosphere” surrounding the use of the cameras.
“Given the divisive atmosphere surrounding its use, we believe deactivating the system is the appropriate decision at this time,” the department said.
Story continues below Trending Shorts
Douglas is not the only Massachusetts community to move away from Flock’s license plate reader technology. Grafton and East Bridgewater have also removed Flock cameras.
The technology has also come under scrutiny following allegations involving police use of the system. Officers in Lynn, Stow and New Bedford have been placed on leave amid allegations that the cameras were used improperly.
Flock cameras are designed to capture and record vehicle license plates and other identifying information, allowing law enforcement to search for vehicles connected to criminal investigations.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
