How Wareham uses its Flock cameras and other license plate readers

To learn more about how Flock cameras and other license plate readers work, read our explainer by clicking this link.

There are seven cameras keeping a watchful eye over the town of Wareham. These artificial intelligence-powered devices automatically scan the license plate and details of each passing car, uploading them to a database that certain law enforcement officers and other operators can access. 

Of these seven automated license plate readers in town, the Wareham Police Department operates three. The other four are owned by private companies. 

The department said it uses these cameras to track stolen vehicles, investigate crimes and find missing people. But a Wareham Week review of police search records found that officers often provided little or no clear explanation for why they used it. 

Automated license plate readers, like the ones in Wareham, have faced heavy criticism in recent months from advocacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union. The union has accused companies that manufacture license plate readers of trying to build a “nationwide mass surveillance system.” 

The highest-profile company is Georgia-based Flock Safety, which operates over 100,000 cameras across the country. Of the seven documented Wareham cameras, five are from Flock. The Wareham Police Department operates one of them.

There have been several documented cases of alleged Flock camera misuse in Massachusetts towns like Stow and Lynn this year. The New Bedford Police Department recommended terminating two officers in early September after the department accused them of using the Flock database to track their ex-romantic partners. 

As of Sept. 17, nearly two dozen Massachusetts towns had dropped their programs with Flock, many due to privacy concerns and potential misuse. But in Wareham, the cameras are still being used. 

Nearly half of Wareham’s available searches lacked explanation

When searching the Flock database, users can document their reasons for accessing license plate data. But Wareham Police officers are not required to do so and only offer a clear explanation about half the time.

According to search data obtained through Wareham’s “Flock Transparency Portal,” 49 out of the 100 system searches by Wareham police between Aug. 10 and Sept. 10 did not contain a search reason. Others input vague reasons like “investigation” or one-letter responses like “a,” “H” and “q.” 

Transparency portal information is controlled by local police departments, according to Flock Safety. It often displays Flock system searches conducted by the department.

It is not clear whether Wareham’s empty inputs were intentionally left blank or were redacted by the department. On Thursday, Sept. 10, the portal website read: “All system access requires a valid reason and is stored indefinitely.” 

The department used to make information on when and how they used these cameras easily available online. Much of it is no longer available. The information disappeared less than 24 hours after Wareham Week inquired about officers’ unclear search explanations.

How are Wareham’s cameras used?

In May 2024, the Wareham Police Department paid New Jersey-based surveillance technology company Packetalk more than $11,000 for two license plate readers and to get access to the company’s searchable database software. Two cameras are now placed in front of the police station on Cranberry Highway, according to Wareham Police Lt. Michael Smith.

In January 2025, the department paid Flock Safety a $3,000 fee to operate one camera on Onset Avenue, which faces Onset Pier. The camera was first obtained by the department in 2021 as part of a free trial, according to Smith. 

Smith said the cameras can help the department quickly find missing people, identify stolen vehicles and investigate crimes. He guessed the system was used once or twice a week, depending on how busy the department is.

“It’s not used as often as I think it’s put out there,” he said.

According to Flock Safety search data, as of Thursday, Sept. 10, officers searched the Flock database 100 times over 30 days. Searches were conducted nearly every day since Aug. 10. 

Smith said the only mandatory required field is the offense type and that search reasons are not required. For the vague searches, he said he would have to ask the officer who conducted the search to know what they meant. 

ACLU Policy Counsel Gideon Epstein said vague and nondescript search reasons “leave the door wide open for potential abuse of this technology.” 

He pointed to several Wisconsin police officers who have been charged with misconduct for surveilling former and current romantic partners. Each of those officers used vague queries like “investigation” or “suspicious.”

As of Sept. 15, Wareham Week is not aware of any formal misuse allegations regarding the Wareham Police Department’s use of license plate readers. 

Flock Safety did not respond to Wareham Week’s request for comment. Smith did not respond to questions about the change in portal information. 

Who else can see Wareham’s data?

Advocates have raised concerns over camera data sharing with outside police departments and federal agencies. According to the town’s Flock Transparency portal, Wareham shares its camera data with nearly 500 other departments and agencies as close as Middleboro and Mattapoisett and as far as Fort Worth, Texas.

Once data is approved to be shared, departments can access Wareham’s data without manual approval by the Wareham Police Department. According to Epstein, if other departments use vague and dishonest search reasons, there’s no way to prevent them from searching data in towns like Wareham for restricted reasons like immigration enforcement or personal use. There is currently no evidence, however, that this has been done.

According to Flock’s website, the company will begin requiring departments to input case codes whenever they search the Flock database by the end of 2026. Wareham’s data did not have a “case number” column on its search audit when it was publicly available. 

Other Flock operators

While Wareham’s police department operates three license plate readers, they’re not the only users in town. Four cameras are also being operated outside the police department. 

The Home Depot in East Wareham has two Flock cameras in its parking lot. According to a Home Depot spokesperson, the security cameras are solely used to prevent theft and “protect the safety” of customers and employees. 

Wareham Crossing uses two as well. Wareham Crossing’s owner, WS Development, did not respond to Wareham Week’s request for comment.

According to Flock Safety, private customers cannot access law enforcement data. However, they can search their own camera’s database and choose whether to share it with law enforcement agencies.

Smith said the Wareham Police Department uses license plate data only when looking for specific crimes and people, like for criminal and health and welfare reasons. He shared the department’s automatic license plate reader use policy with Wareham Week.

“Unfortunately, there are people that are going to misuse it, and that’s the reason we have a policy in place,” he said.