AUBURN — Residents and city councilors have noted in recent weeks that license plate recognition cameras remain up around town about a month after the city’s agreement with Flock Safety was terminated and months after funding was removed for them from the city budget.

That is about to change.

City officials said Tuesday that Flock Safety officials reported that camera removal is being scheduled.

“However they do not have a timeline for us right now,” said city spokesperson Liz Allen. “They understand the removal is overdue, and they are working to get this accomplished.”

After removing funding for the cameras in May from the the city’s proposed 2026-27 budget the City Council terminated its contract with Flock Safety and requested cameras be removed in August.

Because the terms of Auburn and Flock Safety’s agreement states equipment would be removed within a “commercially reasonable” period of time, the city has interpreted that time period to mean six to eight weeks, Allen said.

Should the cameras and equipment remain up at the end of that period, the city will remove them, Allen said.

Flock data access and data sharing with surrounding law enforcement agencies ended when the agreement was terminated, Allen said.

Auburn police began using Flock Safety cameras, acquired through a federal grant, in 2025. A $24,000 request by the police department in the 2027 budget to carry on the program was denied by the City Council when residents began airing concerns about the use of the technology. The cameras were installed by the department without public input or a council vote.

Republican state lawmakers Laurel Libby and Quentin Chapman, both of Auburn, and David Boyer, of Poland, spearheaded a citizens initiative proposing a new ordinance banning the automatic license-plate-reading technology from Auburn streets. The petition drew 1,800 of the required 1,568 signatures, receiving over 1,200 signatures on Election Day in June alone.

City councilors opted Sept. 21 not to adopt the ordinance, which automatically sent the matter to a special election to be held in four to six months.

City Councilor Rachel Randall of Ward 1 said she was pleased to learn the city has a clear next step to remove Flock Safety equipment, and that she will only be satisfied when the cameras are physically removed, not just turned off.

“I’ve seen reports from other communities raising concerns about cameras being reconnected or reactivated without the municipality’s authorization, so for me, physical removal is important,” Randall said.

Kelly Butler, Auburn City Ward 4 councilor, said Tuesday that it is important that, as a community, Auburn residents balance operational considerations with protecting the privacy of residents. People should expect the city is in a contractual process that takes time to reach completion, she said.

“As we move through the process, information sharing with the community in a manner that offers clear confirmation of status of the equipment while the physical removal is underway is essential,” Butler said. “Overall, I think the shared goal here is to complete the contractual process (in a timely way), share accurate information with our community and assure our residents that their privacy is a priority to the city and council.”