· Cumberland, RI · Contract ended
Cumberland, Rhode Island council votes 6-1 to end its Flock contract
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, the Cumberland Town Council voted 6-1 to end the town's contract with Flock Safety, The Valley Breeze reported on Oct. 15. According to Uprise RI's account of the meeting recording, the amended resolution (26-45A) authorizes Mayor Jeffrey J. Mutter to terminate the town's use of Flock's automated license plate reader cameras, Councilor Timothy Magill cast the only no vote, and the council was told the contract had not been renewed. The council first approved the two-year Flock contract in September 2024. In August 2026 the ACLU of Rhode Island urged the town to drop the cameras, citing a federal lawsuit by an East Providence woman who says Cumberland police falsely arrested her; an ACLU of Rhode Island board member told the council the group endorses ending the contract. Councilor Jodi Sweet called Flock "an AI data collection system" and "a Trojan horse sold to us as a license plate reader." No timeline for removing the cameras was discussed. As of publication, Flock Safety had not issued a public response to this vote in the sources we reviewed.
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