Flock Safety license-plate recognition cameras are expected to be removed from Springfield streets by the end of this week, police said Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Unlike in Eugene, Springfield police only briefly turned on the cameras after their installation before announcing they would sever ties with Flock Safety and cover the cameras. Flock Safety has begun device removals, police said Wednesday.

State grant money paid for the installation, which took place beginning in September. City documents listed a $77,000 price tag for 25 automated license-plate recognition cameras annually.

But Springfield police announced when the cameras went up they would be turned on only for calibration and validation, pending further community discussion.

In both Eugene and Springfield, citizens voiced concerns at public meetings about the technology possibly being used to target vulnerable groups, such as for immigration enforcement if federal entities accessed the data.

The Atlanta-based company and Springfield police said control of the data collected by the cameras fell solely to the local department, but critics of the company, including Sen. Ron Wyden, continued to express concerns.

On Dec. 5, the department announced an end to its deal with Flock Safety over concerns “about the system’s ability to meet operational needs, data security requirements, and community expectations.”

Springfield police previously announced that one camera had been briefly turned on in November after a Flock Safety repair led to the company reactivating the device, with data from the single camera used to help recover a stolen vehicle.

In the December statement, and again Wednesday, Springfield police said cutting ties with Flock Safety did not represent a shift away from the technology entirely, with the department working to identify tools to “enhance public safety” that also meet security standards.