{"id":2644734,"date":"2026-08-13T22:37:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T02:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-oklahoma-police-chief-cancels-citys-flock-safety-contract-after-citizens-raise-privacy-concerns\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T22:41:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T02:41:44","slug":"exclusive-oklahoma-police-chief-cancels-citys-flock-safety-contract-after-citizens-raise-privacy-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-oklahoma-police-chief-cancels-citys-flock-safety-contract-after-citizens-raise-privacy-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: Oklahoma Police Chief Cancels City\u2019s Flock Safety Contract After Citizens Raise Privacy Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexclusive-oklahoma-police-chief-cancels-citys-flock-safety-contract-after-citizens-raise-privacy-concerns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2644734&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A police chief in Coweta, oklahoma, decided to cancel the city&#8217;s contract with Flock Safety after community concerns about privacy and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/quebec-is-now-under-the-equivalent-of-covid-martial-law-no-one-is-allowed-on-the-streets-after-8pm-till-5am\/\" title=\"Quebec Is Now Under the Equivalent of COVID \u2018Martial Law\u2019 \u2013 No One is Allowed on the Streets after 8pm Till 5am\">civil liberties<\/a>. The chief,Michael Bell,explained that two license plate-reading cameras were perceived as a threat to public trust,despite thier usefulness for locating missing persons and suspects. The decision was also influenced by prior community frustrations over a failed data center project, which damaged the relationship between residents and city officials. Bell emphasized his commitment to listening to citizens and prioritizing their trust over technology. The cameras will be removed within weeks, and Bell expressed hope to rebuild trust and work collaboratively with the community, even while maintaining city safety efforts independently. his choice was supported by many residents but opposed by some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/officer-fired-for-donating-25-to-kyle-rittenhouse-defense-fund\/\" title=\"Officer Fired For Donating  To Kyle Rittenhouse Defense Fund\u00a0\">law enforcement leaders<\/a>, as Bell stated his duty is to serve his community\u2019s interests.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A police chief in an Oklahoma community made the decision this week to cancel his department\u2019s contract with Flock Safety after numerous citizens expressed concerns that the technology threatened their privacy and civil liberties<\/p>\n<p>Coweta Police Chief Michael Bell decided that two plate-reading cameras in his city of roughly 12,000 people were not worth the erosion of public trust, so he contacted Flock Safety Tuesday to end the relationship.<\/p>\n<p>The city made the announcement on social media:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCityofCoweta%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0AEBeAApSDonizPxxu7TPu2MHG1ygpL1ndVPtfrtKrbNJ8Xie42mfnLpGgtd9nBd5l&#038;show_text=true&#038;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"666\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>During a Thursday afternoon conversation with The Western Journal, Bell explained why the city of Coweta, which is about a 25-minute drive from the heart of Tulsa, will no longer be using the company\u2019s services.<\/p>\n<p>Many in the community were already upset with the city about negotiations over another <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >hot-button issue \u2014 city leaders agreeing<\/a> to bring a data center to the area without their input.<\/p>\n<p>That plan fell apart after residents came together in strong opposition to city leadership over the matter.<\/p>\n<p>A San Francisco-based company later withdrew its proposal for the facility after months of intense opposition from Coweta residents, area news station KOTV-TV <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newson6.com\/tulsa-oklahoma-news\/coweta-data-center-project-atlas-proposal-canceled-by-beale-infrastructure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt really fractured the relationship that the city government had with its citizens,\u201d Bell told The Western Journal. \u201cWhen I looked at that, I said, \u2018We can\u2019t continue this fractured relationship. We\u2019ve got to start listening to our citizens when they complain about something.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The chief added, \u201cLo and behold, the next thing that came up was the Flock cameras.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bell acknowledged concerns about Flock cameras, but said many people have misconceptions about what they do and do not do \u2014 such as endlessly surveil people and scan their faces.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe cameras don\u2019t do anything like that, but I felt like, as a chief, if I kept the threat there \u2014 that the public felt threatened by the Flock cameras \u2014 I wasn\u2019t going to get a chance to have a good dialogue with them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The cameras can be useful during Silver Alerts to find dementia patients who have gone missing, he said. He added that his city even used them to locate an armed robbery suspect.<\/p>\n<p>However, trust between the officers on his force and the citizens they serve is paramount, the veteran chief told The Western Journal.<\/p>\n<p>Bell said he hopes to eventually speak with people in his city and explain to them the benefits of the plate readers, but he admitted that now is not that time.<\/p>\n<p>He also made it clear that he was not trying to start a trend, and that he would rather use the readers \u2014 just not at the expense of alienating the people of Coweta.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s show that we can actually listen to our citizens; let\u2019s show that we\u2019re not afraid to make that step, get rid of the Flocks, and then we can actually sit down and have a conversation with them and hopefully get our citizens back to where they trust their government, and we can work together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Bell said the cameras will be gone in a matter of weeks, and that he intends to keep his city safe with or without the assistance of the controversial Flock system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will be able to adapt,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The chief also said that his decision to cancel his city\u2019s Flock contract put him at odds with some area law enforcement agency leaders, but that he ultimately answers to the people of Coweta.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want everybody to understand that I didn\u2019t make this [decision] for the bigger picture; I made it for my community,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m the chief here \u2014 I need the support of the community, and if I don\u2019t have that, I really don\u2019t have a police department. I need to listen to what the public is saying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bell was praised by area residents when his department made its initial announcement Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Even some who wanted the cameras to remain d a sense of gratitude that he was willing to listen to their neighbors.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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