Flock Safety, a fast-growing maker of surveillance cameras, is shrinking.

The Atlanta company plans to cut about 18% of its workers, or roughly 270 people, Reuters reported, citing people with direct knowledge of the plan. The workers will leave at the end of October after a buyout offer. Flock has about 1,500 employees.

Flock makes cameras that read license plates and record cars as they pass. Reuters said about 120,000 of them sit along streets and highways in 49 states. More than 4,800 police agencies and nearly 1,000 businesses use its tools.

Flock disputes the word layoff. "This was a voluntary program, not a layoff," spokesperson Paris Lewbel told TechCrunch. The company said the program was meant to position it "for its next phase of growth."

The cuts come amid a growing backlash. In September, Florida banned automated license plate readers from state highways, citing privacy risks. A lawsuit in Virginia claims the cameras amount to surveillance without a warrant. Some police departments, including in Los Angeles, have let contracts lapse, TechCrunch reported.

Public opinion is split. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 38% of Americans support Flock cameras in their community, while 47% oppose them.

Investors have still poured in money. Flock has raised more than $950 million, including a $275 million round in March that valued it at $7.5 billion. It is building a U.S. factory and plans to sell drones.

The cameras have also become a campaign issue ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with some candidates attacking rivals for ties to the technology, Reuters said.

What we know: about 270 workers are leaving by the end of October.
What we don't: whether more cuts or contract losses will follow.