# The City of Columbia MO Livestream

The City of Columbia, Missouri, held a special City Council public hearing on November 9, 2026, concerning the Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system. Police staff described the system’s deployment, data-use restrictions, auditing and transparency practices, and reported 183 arrests linked to Flock data in 2026. Speakers expressed opposing views: supporters cited investigative and public-safety benefits, while opponents raised privacy, accuracy, data-security, oversight, and cost concerns; the stated cost of roughly $476,000 per year was cited by a member of the public. Flock representatives answered questions about security, data access, and machine-learning use. Staff also described recent limits on data sharing and requirements under the Governor’s executive order.

Council discussed contract language that could permit automatic renewal and the differing terms for police/parks and utilities camera purchases. By a 5–2 vote, Council directed that the Flock contracts/purchase orders not renew for a subsequent term when their current terms expire; the discussion indicated the existing terms would continue, with police/parks ending in March and the utilities term later. The vote did not terminate service immediately, and Council anticipated further discussion of safeguards and surveillance policy at a future meeting. No new contract award or spending appropriation was approved.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety, Information Technology
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 10, 2026

### Sources
- [The City of Columbia MO Livestream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCz8wnzdvWA) - The City of Columbia MO