Articles Township government
Franklin's Flock License-Plate Cameras, Explained
What the Flock system is and what the township's portal says it records; how the $339,000 contract was approved and paid for; what officials said at the August 11, 2026 presentation; what residents asked for at four Council meetings; the state rules on the data; where the records disagree; and what is still not known.
The short version
- Franklin’s police use Flock Safety automated license-plate recognition (ALPR) cameras. The department’s transparency portal lists 28 “LPR and other cameras” and a data retention period of 1,095 days.
- The Council awarded the contract on October 14, 2025 (Res. 25-436), on the consent agenda, 7–0, for up to $339,000, paid from a state gunshot-detection technology grant.
- After a presentation on August 11, 2026, residents spoke against the system at four straight regular meetings: about 30 different people across 44 speaking turns, with none recorded in support.
- Officials said the township owns the data, there is no facial recognition, searches are audited, and the three-year retention is set by the Attorney General. The Mayor said he favored shorter retention. Mr. Singh called for “a full public review and a new vote.”
- No vote to cancel, suspend or re-examine the contract has been scheduled through the October 27, 2026 agenda.
What the system records
A Flock camera photographs the rear of passing vehicles and reads the plate. The plate is checked against hotlists, and officers are alerted on a match. The township’s portal, updated October 29, 2026, reports:
| Measure (portal, October 29, 2026) | Figure |
|---|---|
| ”LPR and other cameras” | 28 |
| Data retention | 1,095 days (“3 years per Attorney General Directive 2022-12”) |
| Unique vehicles detected, last 30 days | 622,642 |
| Searches, last 30 days | 70 |
| Hotlist alerts, last 30 days | 30,592, mostly expired or suspended plates |
| Prohibited uses listed | include “Immigration enforcement” |
The township does not publish where the cameras are. On August 11, 2026 the Public Safety Director said they are at “town entry/exit points based on statistical data,” placed by command staff, not the Council.
How the contract was approved and paid for
| Date | Step | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2022 | Res. 22-241: ALPR purchase and installation from Vigilant Solution, up to $57,660 | Consent agenda 6–1 (Wright no, after asking that all resolutions be voted separately); Anbarasan, Uddin absent |
| October 25, 2022 | Res. 22-388 and 22-389: applications for the Attorney General’s gunshot-detection and ALPR grant programs | 9–0 |
| July 11, 2023 | Res. 23-285 accepts a $339,000 state “Gunshot Detection Technology Initiative” grant, “for the period of December 1, 2022 through November 30, 2024”; Res. 23-286 adds it to the budget | 9–0 |
| January 28, 2025 | Res. 25-056 authorizes bids for “Flock License Plate Readers and Video Products” as proprietary goods, “as no equivalent system exists” | Consent 8–0 (Potosnak absent) |
| March 18, 2025 | Bids opened; Flock “was the sole bidder” | (recital of Res. 25-436) |
| August 12, 2025 | Res. 25-327: a Flock “Aerodome” drone-as-first-responder system, up to $100,000 | Consent 9–0 |
| October 14, 2025 | Res. 25-436: “Gunshot Detection, License Plate Reader, and Video Surveillance System” awarded to Flock Group Inc., up to $339,000 | Consent 7–0 (see the roll call below) |
| November 10, 2025 | Res. 25-475: Axon “ALPR License and Integration,” up to $37,800 | Consent 9–0 |
On October 14, 2025 Beverly Lawson asked in public comment about Res. 25-436, “want or need.” The minutes record Township Manager Robert Vornlocker’s answer: the resolution “is grant funded and is necessary … at no cost to the taxpayer, why not get it.”
The October 31, 2025 purchase order for “FLock Safety Surveillance Sys,” $339,000.00, charged to the grant account, was paid on the November 25, 2025 bill list.
The August 11, 2026 presentation
Public Safety Director Lloyd Fredericks and Flock representative Carl Block presented the system to the Council (agenda item 6.a). The minutes record these statements:
- The solar-powered cameras photograph the rear of vehicles. There is no facial recognition and no connection to DMV records.
- The township owns the data, and the vendor is “contractually prohibited from selling it.”
- Flock’s default deletion period is 30 days, but New Jersey Attorney General guidelines “mandate a three-year retention.”
- Access is limited to sergeants and above and requires a case number, offense type and user ID. There is an annual state audit plus township “quarterly and random monthly audits.”
- Sharing ALPR data for civil immigration enforcement is prohibited under New Jersey law, and filters block searches on reproductive health care or civil immigration enforcement.
- ALPR data are criminal investigatory records “not subject to OPRA.”
- The Director was “unaware of any false positive incidents.”
- The system “was paid for by a $339,000 state technology grant, not local tax dollars.”
- Mayor Kramer said “he learned of the system’s association with ‘Flock’ only recently.”
What residents asked for
The minutes record these Flock speakers:
| Meeting | Flock speakers | Recorded in support |
|---|---|---|
| August 11, 2026 | 22 of 25 | 0 |
| September 8, 2026 | 8 of 15 | 0 |
| September 22, 2026 | 7 of 17 | 0 |
| October 13, 2026 | 7 of 18 | 0 |
| October 27, 2026 | not yet known (no minutes) | — |
Requests, as the minutes attribute them:
- Cancel or end the contract: AJ Hoffman (August 11); Teresa Cordero (September 22); Sanjhi Sharma, who asked for a “public vote to end the contract” (September 22); Sanchi Sharma, who asked for cancellation (October 13); Frank Sciara (September 22). (The minutes spell Ms. Sharma’s first name both ways.)
- Shut the system down: Jacqueline McCafferty asked for an “immediate shutdown” (September 8). On October 13, Jacqueline McCaffery (the minutes’ spelling that night) asked for a “vote to shut down the system” and filed documents with the Clerk.
- A referendum: Javahn Walker (August 11 and September 22; “Javhan Walker” in the September 8 minutes); Danielle Williams (September 8).
- Independent audit or outside oversight: Joycelyn William and AJ Hoffman (August 11); Frank Sciara (September 22), who also filed written comments.
- More information: Shenique Davis asked for annual aggregate data; Jason Rand asked for multi-factor sign-in and multi-officer sign-off; Michael Hampton asked for a dedicated meeting (all August 11). Sanjhi Sharma asked about the contract’s length and the consequences of cancelling it (September 8).
- The petition. On October 13 Frank Sciara “recapped the July 28 petition against Flock cameras,” the minutes record. The petition’s text and signature count are not in the record.
On September 8 Bill Bowman, editor of the Franklin Reporter, said the paper had “published an editorial opposing the system and suggesting contract nullification.”
What officials said in reply
- September 8, 2026. Officials said “counting discrepancies were reporting errors, not intentional deception”; that high hit rates come from broad hotlists and fall under 1% when filtered for serious crimes; that Franklin owns the data, which is hosted on AWS; that the system is “an investigation tool, not for real-time surveillance”; and that “the contract has two years remaining.” Mayor Kramer “Advocated for shortening the data retention period … and implementing stricter, quarterly reports. Noted that he has written to the Attorney General.”
- September 22, 2026. The Mayor said the Council “takes the issue seriously, is reviewing all information provided, and is considering all facts before making further decisions.”
- October 13, 2026. “Mr. Singh supported a full public review and a new vote on the camera system.” Mayor Kramer “acknowledged the receipt of substantial documentation (including a 34 MB file) and emphasized that the Council is reviewing all feedback.” Ms. Francois said the Council is “taking all feedback into consideration without rushing to judgment.” Mr. Vassanella “Discussed the complexity of privacy issues regarding surveillance technology.”
- October 27, 2026. The agenda had no Flock item and listed “Council Discussion Items - None.” The Franklin Reporter’s October 28 headline reads “Mayor: Franklin To Keep Flock Cameras, But Planned Expansion Is Shelved,” and a TAPinto story the same week carried a similar headline. The meeting’s minutes are not yet posted, so LocalWhy has not checked the statement against the record.
The rules that govern the data
Retention and most use rules come from the state. Attorney General Directive 2022-12, in effect since January 23, 2023:
- Retention. “Records and ALPR data covered by this Section shall be retained for three years,” then purged unless tied to an active case.
- Searching. Stored data may be searched only for listed purposes, such as a specific crime or a lookout list. Searches “may not be conducted to review data based on general crime patterns,” and every access is logged.
- Ownership. The data belongs to the police agency, “not any ALPR vendor.”
- Placement. Each fixed camera’s location goes to the State ALPR Coordinator before installation.
- Audits. Each department audits itself by January 31 every year. County and state coordinators may audit at any time.
- Complaints. Citizen complaints go to the County Prosecutor.
- Records. Stored plate data is a “criminal investigatory record,” not released under the Open Public Records Act.
Where the records disagree
Each item is given as the record states it. LocalWhy draws no conclusion.
- Who voted on October 14, 2025. The final minutes’ roll call lists Mayor Kramer absent and Mr. Anbarasan and Ms. Francois present. The consent-agenda vote that adopted Res. 25-436 lists the ayes as Kharazi, Kramer, Onyejiaka, Potosnak, Uddin, Vassanella and Wright, and Anbarasan and Francois absent. The same minutes record Ms. Francois as seconder of the consent motion. The meeting video (clip 1430) has no captions.
- The contract term. The signed resolution in the packet reads “$339,000 over a four (4) year period, with Year 1 costs totaling … $87,225.” The resolution as printed in the minutes says only that the amount “shall not exceed … $339,000.”
- Payment. The award describes Year 1 at $87,225 and “Years 2-4: As specified in the contract agreement.” The November 25, 2025 bill list pays $339,000.00 on one purchase order dated October 31, 2025.
- Time left on the contract. On September 8, 2026 officials said “the contract has two years remaining.” The award of October 14, 2025 was for four years. The record does not give a start date.
- The grant period. Res. 23-285 accepted the grant for December 1, 2022 through November 30, 2024. The contract was awarded in October 2025. The record found does not say whether the grant period was extended.
- “Not local tax dollars.” On August 11, 2026 the system was described as paid for by the grant, “not local tax dollars.” Township bill lists also show a “Flock Safety CAD Interface” ($5,000 plus $1,000 annual support) from the police software-licensing account, and a PC, monitors and a mouse “for Flock” from bond-funded IT capital. The $37,800 Axon ALPR integration is charged to capital accounts. The record does not say whether these are part of “the system.”
Other police technology approved in 2025–26
All were adopted on consent agendas, unanimously by the members voting: Axon body-worn cameras (Year 5, $132,516.87, September 9, 2025; a new Year 1 at $195,000, August 11, 2026); Axon Tasers, $160,295.20 (August 11, 2026); two Axon drone docks, Year 1 of 5 at $100,000, total contract $648,412.32 (April 14, 2026); and participation in the federal 1033 excess-equipment program (October 14, 2025).
What is not known
- Where the 28 cameras are, and when the first Flock cameras were installed.
- What the July 28, 2026 petition asked and how many signed it.
- The contract’s start date, the Years 2–4 payment schedule, and what cancelling would cost.
- Whether the “Gunshot Detection” and “Video Surveillance” parts of the award are in use.
- The text of the Mayor’s letter to the Attorney General, and any reply.
- What was said at the October 27, 2026 meeting, until its minutes are posted.
- The contents of the township’s “Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Program” document, linked from the police Flock page; LocalWhy could not retrieve it.
What residents can do
- Speak at a Council meeting. Public Discussion is open to any topic. The next meetings are November 10, November 24 and December 8, 2026, 7:00 p.m., at the Municipal Complex, 475 DeMott Lane.
- Read the portal. The transparency portal updates its 30-day counts.
- Ask for records. The plate data is exempt from OPRA, but program records are not. Residents can ask the Township Clerk for the Flock agreement, the department’s ALPR policy and its annual audit certifications.
- Complaints about ALPR use go to the Somerset County Prosecutor under the Attorney General’s directive.