Saint Paul Council unanimously urges end to Flock Safety contracts, orders 60‑day report

The Saint Paul City Council on Aug. 27 adopted a resolution urging the City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County to end contracts with the third‑party license‑plate reader company Flock Safety, citing concerns about third‑party access to residents’ data and the erosion of public trust.

The resolution was introduced by the presiding council leader and framed as targeted at the private vendor rather than technology generally. “I wanna be really clear that this is not about public safety technology or using technology in the furtherance of public safety. It is about a specific 3rd party company and its access to our data,” the introducer said. The resolution asks the administration for a report back within 60 days so the council can monitor progress.

Council member Jost said the tool did not meet the city’s values and voiced concern about accountability and safeguards, adding he supported pausing the contract “until we have other stronger safeguards, or accountability measures are in place.” Vice President Yang and several other council members echoed concerns about trust and said the measure is one step in a longer process that may include ordinance changes and further public engagement.

Supporters pointed to prior incidents of federal overreach referenced during the discussion and said partnerships with third parties that handle resident data require stronger limits and oversight. Council members also noted that a special public hearing on ALPR and related surveillance technology was scheduled to follow this meeting.

The motion to approve the resolution passed unanimously, with the clerk announcing a vote of 7 in favor, none opposed. The resolution’s next steps are the administration report within 60 days and follow‑on discussion at the scheduled special public hearing.