Milton's Select Board is set to discuss the town's 13 Flock license plate reader cameras with Police Chief King at its Tuesday, Sept. 22, meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 515 Canton Ave.

The discussion comes as residents organize to press the board to shut down the surveillance system. More than 30 Massachusetts municipalities have already dropped Flock cameras, according to the ACLU of Massachusetts, as reported by the Boston Herald.

Milton police purchased the 13 cameras in December 2024 for $39,500 out of the department's operating budget, according to a public records request reported by the Milton Times. The contract with Flock Safety runs through March 2028. The cameras capture license plate numbers, vehicle make, model, color and other details.

Records Manager Lauren Morrissey told the Milton Times the department could not provide camera locations. Residents and contributors to DeFlock.org have independently identified 12 of the 13 sites, according to Milton Scene. The known spots include Unquity Road at Woodlot Drive, Brush Hill Road at Milton Street, East Milton Square and two on Central Avenue across from the MBTA platform.

Data from Milton's cameras is shared with roughly 3,900 individuals across multiple agencies, including Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Randolph and Massachusetts State Police, according to Milton Scene.

In Braintree, former detective Mark Sherrick, 56, was charged with criminal harassment on July 31 for allegedly using Flock cameras and other police resources to track his ex-girlfriend's movements, WCVB reported. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Dedham District Court on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Boston ended its own Flock pilot after discovering that data was accessible to law enforcement agencies nationwide because of what the city called a vendor error, the Boston Herald reported.

Neighboring Stoughton canceled its Flock contract effective Sept. 4 and ordered equipment removed by Oct. 1, according to the Shrewsbury Post. At least seven Massachusetts communities ended Flock use in September alone, the Boston Herald reported.

Milton resident Jack Kelly, who filed the public records request that surfaced the camera details, said in July that the technology "invites abuse." He told the Milton Times he was not out to vilify the police department. "I think much of this boils down to a misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the product by Flock themselves," Kelly said. "In parallel, there are some transparency issues we need to crack open and discuss."

Resident organizers say the Select Board can terminate the contract. They are directing residents to email the board at [email protected] and have set up a WhatsApp group for coordination.

Canton also uses Flock cameras. Canton Police Chief Michael Daniels said in an Aug. 18 statement that the department would "continue to evaluate the use of technology based on its effectiveness, its public safety value and accountability surrounding its use."

Town Administrator Nick Milano told the Milton Times in July that the department would assess future renewals when the contract expires. Tuesday's meeting is the first time the Select Board has placed the cameras on its public agenda.