East Bridgewater Select Board Faces Intense Community Opposition Over Flock Surveillance Cameras
EAST BRIDGEWATER - August 10, 2026 - Packed into Town Hall following weeks of rising local concern, dozens of East Bridgewater residents delivered a sharp rebuke to town leaders on Monday evening over the police department’s deployment of Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. The standing-room-only public forum dominated the meeting, with citizens pressing officials on Fourth Amendment rights, third-party data misuse, and lack of municipal oversight while demanding an immediate pause on camera installation.
This story is about ALPRs, see the in depth South Shore News article about this topic here.
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The Monday meeting turned into a nearly three-hour public debate centered on mass surveillance, constitutional liberties, and government transparency. The controversy follows the police department’s procurement of four solar-powered Flock Safety ALPR cameras, funded through a three-year, $38,000 contract paid entirely with federal drug asset forfeiture funds.
Police Chief Michael Jenkins defended the technology as an essential investigative asset, stating that LPR data from neighboring towns had already helped local detectives solve major cases, including a recent armed robbery. He explained that the cameras capture only still photos of license plates and vehicle attributes—not individual driver identities—and that data automatically purges after 30 days. He added that no municipal tax dollars were spent.
“It’s an investigative tool... It’s to see what’s coming in your town, and if it’s somebody that shouldn’t be in your town and they’re committing crimes in your town, we have a better tool to help prosecute that person. It’s not to track anybody.” (01:09:57) — Police Chief Michael Jenkins
Residents voiced deep anxiety regarding third-party vendor access, federal overreach, cybersecurity breaches, and potential civil rights violations. Several speakers cited national reports of Flock systems being hacked or misused by officers in other states, while others criticized the town’s policy of relying solely on an internal annual audit of just ten random searches.
“Mass government surveillance should never be allowed. It’s already a thing to the point that it already is. We shouldn’t be okay with allowing it to continue. There has to be a point where communities have to say enough is enough.” (01:42:54) — Aaron Cook, Resident
“My son’s shooting taught me how quickly an ordinary family’s life can change. It also taught me that safety matters. But so does our freedom, so does privacy, and so does the kind of community we want East Bridgewater to remain. I want my son to be safe... But I also want them to grow up in a community where being safe doesn’t mean being watched every day.” (01:51:30) — Stephanie Mahoney, Resident
“The bigger issue happens when thousands of these photographs are collected, retained, and made searchable over time. There’s a significant difference between a police officer seeing my vehicle drive down the road and the government having a database capable of determining where my vehicle has been throughout a community. That is where the Fourth Amendment concerns become much more serious.” (02:06:58) — Robert Cadigan, Resident
In response to public demands for a vote, Select Board members and Town Administrator Charlie Seelig noted that while department heads maintain operational authority over specialized grant/forfeiture funds, the town will consult with legal counsel to review contractual cancellation terms, options to pause activation, or potential warrant articles for the upcoming Town Meeting. Chief Jenkins agreed to consult further with the board and explore options to temporarily cover or deactivate installed equipment while discussions continue.
