First Email to Town
Email sent to Mayor Cook and the Town Council - August 8, 2026 - regarding banning Flock Safety cameras


 SUBJECT: Proposed Ordinance Regarding Automated License Plate Readers Mayor Cook, Council President, and Members of the Easton Town Council,
As you prepare to attend the MACo Summer Conference in Ocean City, I wanted to send you the attached proposed ordinance concerning automated license plate reader systems in Easton.
I respectfully ask that you consider adopting an ordinance along these lines (see attached PDF or visit https://gettheflockouttahere.org/the-ordinance/) to prohibit the systematic collection and sharing of vehicle-location data within the Town.
My concern is not with traditional cameras or ordinary police investigative work. It is with the creation of a system capable of continuously recording the movements of residents who are not suspected of any crime and making that information searchable and accessible through a much larger surveillance network.
I recognize that this is an emerging issue and that reasonable people can approach it from different perspectives. That is precisely why I believe Easton should address it now, while we still have the opportunity to decide locally what limits should exist before this technology becomes an established part of our infrastructure.
Since you will be meeting with officials from throughout Maryland in Ocean City, I hope you might also have an opportunity to discuss ALPR technology, data sharing, and municipal authority with some of your colleagues there. I suspect Easton will not be the last Maryland community to confront these questions.
The proposed ordinance is attached for your review. I respectfully ask the Town to adopt a clear prohibition on automated license plate reader systems and the collection, use, or access of ALPR-derived data within Easton.
The details of the ordinance can be discussed and refined through the legislative process, but I believe the central principle should remain clear: Easton should prohibit this form of persistent, suspicionless vehicle tracking rather than attempt to regulate or manage it.
I appreciate your willingness to consider it, and I appreciate the time each of you gives to serving our community.
Respectfully,
Norman Bauer Director DeFlock Easton GetTheFlockOuttaHere.org