Bringing Millcreek Township Flock Cameras Into Focus

Flock Safety license-plate reader cameras in Millcreek Township, PA, are a matter of concern for some residents in both the Township and the City of Erie. The content below does not argue the risks of the cameras as much as it seeks to clarify the specifics of the agreements, administration, and control of them.

Flock Safety representatives appeared at the Millcreek Township Supervisors’ meeting on April 28, 2026, to provide an overview of the cameras and their security to address citizen concerns. They also answered questions from the attendees. It was apparent that the Flock representatives were confused by the questions asked regarding who contracted with Flock for the cameras, and who is on the hook financially. 

Here are the facts:

• Millcreek Township contracted with Flock for the installation and services for cameras at the Millcreek Mall.
• Millcreek Mall contracted with Flock to allow the cameras on its property. 
• Millcreek Mall and Millcreek Township signed an agreement regarding reimbursement, access to the footage, and other administrative matters.

The following information was obtained through a February 12, 2026, right-to-know request to Millcreek Township: 

• June 24, 2025: Millcreek Township Supervisors’ Meeting: An MOU (memorandum of understanding) was unanimously approved for the Millcreek Township Police Department’s access to license plate data acquired by Flock Safety cameras located at the two Lowe’s stores in Millcreek Township and Summit Township. The MOU also gives Millcreek Township Police access to other retailers’ and law-enforcement entities’ license plate reader data as shared by them. Shortly after, Millcreek Township finalized this agreement with Flock Safety. [On July 10, 2025, Lowe’s issued separate invitations for Millcreek Township Police Department to access data from approximately 175 of its retail locations from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Access to these stores’ data is as easy as clicking “accept” on the administrative dashboard.]
• June 27, 2025: A security consultant for the Millcreek Mall emailed the Millcreek Township Police Department about adding Flock cameras to the Millcreek Mall property, stating that this has been done at a couple of its other properties, and that they would reimburse the Township for the total cost.
• October 15, 2025: A representative from Flock Safety turned off MFA (Multi Factor Authentication) for the Millcreek Township Police Department account administrator because of difficulties in logging into the system. [This creates a vulnerability.]
• November 11, 2025, Millcreek Township Supervisors’ Meeting: The Township solicitor presented an agreement with Millcreek Mall to install five license plate reader cameras at various locations on the Mall’s property, with the Mall reimbursing the Township for the cost of installation and operation. The supervisors approved the agreement. (See image below for locations of the cameras.)
• December 8, 2025: A Millcreek Township supervisor signed an invoice from Flock Safety in the amount of $18,250 for the installation of five Flock Safety Falcon license plate reader cameras and access to the Flock Safety platform for a one-year, automatically renewable period. Customer: Millcreek Township PD. Note: Flock also offers live-view cameras.
• At some point, Cafaro entered into its own agreement with Flock Safety for the use of the Millcreek Mall property.
• December 8, 2025: A Millcreek Township supervisor signed a license agreement with Cafaro-Peachcreek Joint Venture Partnership (Licensor) for Flock camera placement at the Millcreek Mall. This agreement states that Millcreek Township (Licensee) will install the cameras [Flock Safety installed, or their agent] and Cafaro will reimburse Millcreek Township. Cafaro will also reimburse Millcreek Township for the cost for the police department’s access to the Flock Safety platform. The Mall does not have access to the footage, but it can request it on a case-by-case basis at the Millcreek Township Police Department’s discretion.

• A December 10, 2025, invoice from Flock Safety lists Millcreek Township PD as the “bill to” and “ship to” party.

On February 9, 2026, Millcreek Township issued a press release seeking to clarify the use of the “privately owned Flock Safety cameras” and law-enforcement access. Here is a link to the press release: https://millcreektownship.com/m/newsflash/home/detail/568 This release contains several inaccuracies that the right-to-know request revealed.

• The third paragraph of the release states that the Flock Safety cameras located at the Millcreek Mall are privately owned and installed by the property owner and that Millcreek Township did not incur any expense for the cost of the cameras.

• To clarify, the cameras themselves are owned by Flock Safety and were also installed by Flock Safety (or its agent). The quote for the cost to install the cameras and the operational agreement for the year was addressed to Millcreek Township, but the Millcreek Mall agreed to pay for both. The agreement between Millcreek Township and the Millcreek Mall states that the Millcreek Mall would pay the lower of $15,000 or the amount Flock bills in subsequent years. Very few service contracts decrease in price, so it’s probable that Millcreek Township will incur some expense in subsequent years. The agreement between Millcreek Township and Flock Safety will automatically renew on a yearly basis unless either party gives 30-days’ notice.

• The fourth paragraph states that the only action the board took was in approving an agreement that allows the police department to access information for legitimate crime investigations.
  • The Millcreek Township Police Department has control over the data on the cameras. The Mall can request to receive data from the cameras on a case-by-case basis, but only if the police department believes this would not compromise any of its own investigations (see image above).

• The fifth paragraph states that Millcreek Township supervisors previously approved an agreement that allows the police department to request relevant camera data when necessary to support criminal investigations. This was the (MOU) memorandum of understanding with Flock Safety to access Lowe’s data from their license plate readers. The approval whizzed through the process at the June 24, 2025, supervisors’ meeting with the Township solicitor presenting the matter and no questions asked by the supervisors in attendance before unanimous approval. No questions were posed by the public either.

QUESTIONS:

• If Lowe’s and Home Depot have contracted for their own cameras, do they have access to their own footage? The Flock representatives said that only those with Flock accounts have access to footage. They have accounts.

Right-to-Know Request from April 1, 2026 (Denied. Apparently open-records refers to documents and does not require a response to questions):

• Who at Millcreek Township has access to the Flock system? Have all authorized users read the MOU between Flock and Millcreek as required?
  • Millcreek has received requests for sharing its camera data from Luzerne, South Whitehall; PA State Police, Pittsburgh PA Police, Cumberland County; Franklin County; Muhlenberg Township, and Lehigh. Which, if any, of these entities has been granted access to Millcreek Flock camera data?
  • Millcreek has been offered camera sharing from approximately 175 Lowe’s locations, Home Depot, and Brevard County, FL. Which of these, if any, has Millcreek accepted? Also list any additional locations not listed above.

Note: I am a blogger with a masters’ degree in English and a minor in business administration. I’ve done my best to sort through the hundreds of emails that were sent to me as part of the right-to-know request. Please let me know if I have any facts wrong and I will be sure to promptly address the matter.

5/6/2026: This post was updated to reflect the response to the April 1, 2026 right-to-know request.