Winona police won't replace stolen Flock cameras amid growing privacy concerns

A southeastern Minnesota police department says it will not be replacing its Flock cameras after several were stolen.

The Winona Police Department said on Wednesday that while the cameras have been an "effective and impactful resource," the community's trust is "the foundation of effective policing."

The announcement comes after someone cut down poles and removed all eight of the city's Flock cameras earlier this month, causing an estimated $24,000 in damage.

The Winona Police Department says it has used Flock cameras to locate a homicide suspect and several individuals in crisis, as well as solve cases involving hit-and-runs, stolen vehicles and other offenses.

"While Flock has been a valuable tool, we believe its use has contributed to growing concerns about trust in policing, both locally and across the state and nation. After careful consideration, Winona PD has decided not to reinstall any Flock cameras in the City of Winona," the department said. "Our commitment is simple: protecting our community while maintaining the trust that makes that work possible."

Several other communities in the state have had Flock cameras vandalized and have even canceled contracts with Flock as privacy concerns grow. 

Last week, the City of Duluth said it would not be renewing its contract with Flock, which is set to end Sept. 7. Other cities have removed the cameras or plan to, including West St. Paul, Columbia Heights and North Branch. The Isanti County Sheriff's Office announced on Monday that it too would ditch the technology.

Flock claims that an estimated 20% of solved cases in jurisdictions where it is deployed were assisted with Flock technology, and that it supported more than 1 million criminal investigations and incidents in 2025. 

However, opponents say that the information gathered by the survelliance cameras can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Three deputies in Georgia were arrested this week after an internal audit found they allegedly used data from Flock cameras to track people they knew for personal reasons.