The town of Houlton has agreed to remove all its surveillance cameras and destroy data collected while the system was in use as part of a settlement with three residents who threatened legal action over alleged violations of Maine’s facial recognition law.
After months of negotiation, the Houlton Town Council voted Monday night to approve the settlement agreement with residents Mark Lipscombe, Craig Harriman, and Patrick Bruce. The agreement followed controversy surrounding the town’s use of cameras equipped with facial recognition technology.
The deal is not yet finalized, as the council made minor deadline changes that the men have not reviewed. “The question is now whether they changed it materially,” Lipscombe said during the meeting. “Then we will have to decide if we are still willing to sign it.”
The three men had alleged that the town unlawfully used facial recognition tools in violation of state law and were prepared to seek a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction. Each also filed Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) requests related to the cameras. Harriman twice sued the town for failing to release requested data, and Bruce told the Town Council in January that the technology violated Maine’s strict facial surveillance statute.
The town’s plan to install 50 cameras became public in January 2024. Documents obtained through FOAA requests by the Bangor Daily News and the three residents indicated town departments had used the system over the course of the year.
Data collected between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, showed more than 56,000 entries where officials accessed live video feeds and more than 5,200 instances of searches for specific people or vehicles. Logs suggested employees could locate profiles of individuals previously captured and stored in the system.
Town officials maintained that the cameras were used only to protect public property and buildings. During a February court hearing, however, Police Chief Tim DeLuca confirmed publicly that the cameras were equipped with facial recognition capabilities.
Town Manager Cameron Clark, who has been on administrative leave since his September felony arrest, said earlier to the Bangor Daily News, this year that the controversy had damaged his reputation and strained the town’s legal budget.
Under the approved settlement, the town must remove all cameras within 60 days and stop using any system with facial recognition features. It must also delete all related recordings and biometric data, except information needed for pending FOAA requests or litigation.
A third-party auditor, funded by the town, will verify data deletion and prepare a written report. In addition, the town will establish a public FOAA request log on its website, updated within five business days of any response.
In return, Lipscombe, Harriman, and Bruce would drop any ongoing litigation connected to the cameras. The agreement does not prevent them from filing complaints with law enforcement, professional boards, or oversight agencies.
The town’s attorney has forwarded the amended settlement to the three men for review.
