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Community Event
Community Event
Join us for a public meeting with the Beverly Police Department so we can learn more about their use of Flock automated license plate readers, how data sharing with other law enforcement agencies works, and what this means for our privacy rights.
When and where:
When and where:
🗓️ Tues, April 21, 2026, 6:00 - 6:45pm
📍 Beverly City Hall, 3rd Floor, Council Chambers
How will it work?
How will it work?
BPD will give a presentation, then we'll have time for open Q&A.
No need to sign up in advance.
This public meeting is being held during the Joint Meeting of the Committees on Legal Affairs and Public Services.
Can't make it in person?
Can't make it in person?
You can also submit a question in advance for the BPD, the Police Chief, the Mayor, city officials. We'll try to read as many as possible.
Help us spread the word!
Help us spread the word!
Click the promo images below to download them from Google Drive, and please socialize with your networks!
Why is this important?
Why is this important?
Read Get the Flock Out by the ACLU of Massachusetts.
"License plate readers (LPRs) are a common police surveillance technology that threaten our privacy and safety.
With LPRs, law enforcement can track drivers' real-time and historical location information. In other words, they can see exactly where you’ve been and where you’re going. And they don’t even need a warrant.
All too often, law enforcement dumps this highly personal information into a nationwide database, which can be accessed by other state and federal agencies, including ICE. That puts immigrants, people seeking healthcare, political protesters, victims of domestic violence, and others at risk."
How can I learn more?
How can I learn more?
Quick Reads
Quick Reads
Get the Flock Out: Resource Guide by ACLU of Massachusetts
Flock Off FAQ by Mass 50501
DeFlock, an open-source project with a nationwide map
Longer Reads
Longer Reads
Flock Gives Law Enforcement All Over the Country Access to Your Location by ACLU of Massachusetts
Your Car is Being Logged by The 50501 Movement
Leaving the Door Wide Open: Flock Surveillance Systems Expose Washington Data to Immigration Enforcement by the Center for Human Rights at the University of Washington
How have the courts ruled?
How have the courts ruled?
Commonwealth v. Augustine (2014)
Commonwealth v. Augustine (2014)
This case is about cell phone location data, which can be argued is very similar to license plate reader data.
From the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court:
“[A]lthough historical cell site location information for the criminal defendant's cellular telephone constituted a business record of the defendant's cellular telephone service provider, he had a reasonable expectation of privacy in that information … and in the circumstances of the case, the Commonwealth was obliged to secure a search warrant supported by probable cause before obtaining such information from the cellular telephone service provider.”
Carpenter v. United States (2018)
Carpenter v. United States (2018)
This case is about cell phone location data, which can be argued is very similar to license plate reader data.
CSLI = Cell Site Location Information
From the Supreme Court of the United States:
"An individual retains a reasonable expectation of privacy in the CSLI corresponding to his cell phone number and law enforcement must generally get a warrant to access that information." (from the opinion announcement)
“[A]n individual maintains a legitimate expectation of privacy in the record of his physical movements as captured through CSLI.” (from the opinion itself)
Read the Oyez summary of Carpenter and access the opinions and audio
Commonwealth v. McCarthy (2020)
Commonwealth v. McCarthy (2020)
From the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court:
“[w]ith enough cameras in enough locations, the historic location data from an [LPR] system in Massachusetts would invade a reasonable expectation of privacy and would constitute a search for constitutional purposes.”
Read the Harvard Law Review analysis
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