One police department has decided that the backlash against Flock cameras has become too much to bear. Last week, we reported that all eight Flock license plate readers had gone missing in the city of Winona, Minnesota. They discovered that the cameras had been sawed off and stolen between July 29 and August 1 after officers spotted that there had not been any recent activity coming from them. And now they’re rethinking whether the devices are worth keeping around in the first place.
Police department in Minnesota rethinks their use of Flock cameras
After realizing that all eight of the city’s Flock cameras were taken down by unknown thieves, the Winona Police Department sent a press release on Facebook asking the community for tips in recovering them. The police said that the cost of replacing one of the cameras would be $3000 each, which would mean that it would need to spend $24,000 to replace all eight license plate readers.
However, commenters on Facebook largely did not support Flock cameras in general, with many providing cover for the would-be vandals and others supporting their removal. Controversy for the AI-driven system has continued to grow as residents voice concerns over privacy and potential data misuse, despite law enforcement saying that Flock cameras have been useful in solving crimes and tracking criminals across states.
After careful consideration, the department announced on August 12 that it would not be replacing the missing Flock cameras due to the “growing concerns about trust in policing, both locally and across the state and nation” in a press release per KSTP.
“Our department’s use of Flock has been guided by clear policies, appropriate training, and ongoing oversight,” the statement said. “As with all of our law enforcement practices, our use of Flock is grounded in accountability, complies with state law, and is subject to applicable statutory audits. Importantly, we have had no instances of misuse.”
It continued, “At the end of the day, however, our community’s trust is the foundation of effective policing, and we’ve worked hard to build and maintain that trust.”
Other cities that have decided to discontinue or suspend the use of Flock cameras include Grass Valley in California and New Bedford in Connecticut.
