Flock Public Pushback

A flock of cameras arrived Silently and unannounced Hiding in plain sight, somewhere on a pole With the eyesight of an eagle Watching, recording, remembering As vehicles go by Remembering everything, forgetting nothing Silent, unblinking, even after dark Without a chirp to warn you We don't know Who they missed When we weren't looking.

What does Mayor Christenson have to say about the flock of cameras? Public records appear to indicate Mayor Christenson has been actively updated on Flock concerns since at least January of this year. On February 9, Mayor Christenson and his Special Assistant received three files: Flock Talking Points, Flock Letter - Bay Area Updates, and Tewksbury Community Questions. We reviewed and have included copies of other communications including Councillors McDonald, Winslow, and Linehan in response to this request.

The Mayor routinely receives copies of public records activities, as shown in the images attached. On May 4 the Mayor received email from MPD on Flock, which included an attachment with the same file name that the Council and the Mayor's Special Assistant received on January 13.

A message from then-Police Chief Glenn Cronin to the Malden City Council on 1/13/26 addressed Flock and emphasized:

Protecting civil liberties and privacy is a priority. The use of Flock cameras is governed by strict access controls, audit trails, data retention limits, and clear policies regarding when and how data can be accessed. Information is only reviewed in connection with active investigations or public safety concerns. To assist in understanding how the system works, and how privacy protections are built into its design, I have attached a "Claim v. Fact" sheet provided by Flock Safety.

The public records request submitted by MNN on July 13 looked like this: "Please provide all digitally searchable records from January 1, 2026 to the date of this request which include the phrase \"Flock Safety\" and are in the City of Malden's custody, control, or possession. These records may include - but are not limited to - requests for proposals, proposals, presentations, pilot programs, meeting agenda, agreements, memoranda (e.g. MOU, MOA), contracts, invoices, email (sent or received), text messages ... "

On July 22, the City of Malden informed us their initial search "was conducted of electronic emails and resulted in nearly 3,000 emails." On July 23, we simplified the request. On August 17, we received 78 response documents. Clearly more records exist in the digital storage systems of the City.

Across the country, there has been pushback on the use of Flock cameras. The records we have received so far show that Malden City Government has been aware of concerns since at least January of this year. However, elected city officials identified in the records we have obtained so far appear to have said little on the topic, and even in responses to residents have offered little information on the topic. The public deserves to know what is happening in their city, and we will continue to report on this story as it develops.

Correspondence with the City Council

Recent stories by MNN on Flock Safety

• Thursday, August 13, 2026 — Flock, By the Numbers
• Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — Flock in Flight
• Wednesday, July 15, 2026 — Birds on the Wire
• Friday, June 26, 2026 — "Cameras Watching You" — Facebook
• Wednesday, June 24, 2026 — "What is Flock Safety?" — Facebook