Drivers around Waltham started noticing something strange this week: the city's license plate reader cameras, stationed around town, had been wrapped in black plastic trash bags. The cameras were first spotted covered on September 8, and the move came straight from the top — Mayor Jeannette McCarthy ordered police to physically bag all 16 Flock Safety cameras, according to Waltham Police Captain Tim Maher.
The bagging left both residents and city councilors in the dark, with no public notice before drivers began posting photos of the shrouded devices, as reported by CBS News. The report described the cameras' sudden disappearance under plastic, noting the abrupt executive move came without warning to council members who had raised concerns about the surveillance network.
That council pushback concerned the city's 16 Flock cameras, according to BINJ. The Waltham City Council has said the cameras were originally installed without its approval, and the same CBS News report explains why: the funding came from a police drug asset forfeiture account, which under state guidelines can be spent without appropriation — a mechanism that let the purchase bypass the council entirely.
Council Demanded Answers Nearly a Year Ago
Residents first discovered the cameras through online forum posts, and the social media attention prompted the council to act. In November 2025, a council committee discussed concerns about the Flock network and a possible privacy policy, per Citizen Portal. The cameras were covered, and councilors understood the city was ending its contract.
Public frustration hasn't stayed purely bureaucratic. A Facebook post sought to identify a suspect and seek a charge in a Flock-camera incident, according to Facebook. The incident underscored how contentious the cameras had become locally.
Cameras Played a Role in Major Investigations
Law enforcement has pointed to cases where the Flock network proved useful. During the December 2025 multi-agency search following the killing of an MIT professor tied to the Brown University shooter, surveillance logs tracked a suspect's rental car through Waltham, as Hoodline previously reported. That investigative value has been central to the debate over whether losing the cameras trades away a genuine public safety tool.
Still, Waltham's retreat has unfolded amid broader debate over Flock cameras and privacy in Massachusetts.
Statewide Scandals Have Fueled Distrust
Public suspicion toward automated license plate readers has been fueled by reports of alleged misuse involving an officer in Revere.
The allegations are part of the broader debate over police camera use. More than 80 Massachusetts police departments use automated license plate readers.
Flock Safety says it has cameras in 49 states. Facing pressure over privacy, the company reported security measures in August 2026, including a cut to default data retention from 30 days down to seven.
Whether Waltham's bagged cameras represent a temporary pause or a step toward permanent cancellation remains unclear, and it is not yet known how the city will handle any remaining contract obligations to Flock Safety or whether the council will pursue a formal privacy ordinance governing future surveillance technology.
