Lafayette City Council has taken an initial step toward ending the city’s use of Flock cameras, passing the first reading of an ordinance to defund the system at a meeting Tuesday, Oct. 6. The council is scheduled to decide whether to keep or discontinue the cameras on Oct. 20. Funding for the system currently runs through the end of January, and city staff are reviewing the contract with Flock Safety. The automated license plate reader cameras were installed in Lafayette in 2022. City officials say they have helped police, while residents and advocates have raised concerns about the collection and use of vehicle-location data. A city spokesperson said the system assisted the Lafayette Police Department in 267 cases during 2024 and 2025, contributing to 65 arrests and the recovery of 14 stolen vehicles. The spokesperson described the technology as an important public-safety tool. At Tuesday’s meeting, people opposing the cameras argued that their potential investigative value does not justify broad monitoring. Chao Chen, a member of the group Deflock Lafayette, said the cameras feel invasive when they track people who have done nothing wrong. The group is calling for their removal. Councilor Kyle Beaulieu also voiced concern about how the system is used, saying the city had received increasing reports about security and alleged misuse. He said community members had been outraged and called for the cameras to come down as soon as possible. If Lafayette cancels its contract, Flock Safety will work with the city to remove the devices and end its service, a company spokesperson said. The coming vote will determine whether Lafayette continues to pay for a surveillance tool the city says has supported investigations or ends the program amid residents’ demands for stronger limits on monitoring.