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Clawson officer turns in badge after city council vote
Cheers ramped up as the police officer turned in her badge. City Council voted down the renewal of its license plate reader program, called Flock. Earlier that night, a sergeant who works in Clawson schools spoke.
CLAWSON, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Metro Detroit police officer made a bold move, turning in her badge moments after a vote to continue using license plate reader cameras was struck down by City Council in Clawson.
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Cheers ramped up as the police officer turned in her badge. City Council voted down the renewal of its license plate reader program, called Flock.
Earlier that night, a sergeant who works in Clawson schools spoke.
"It is difficult to have tools taken away while also being expected to respond quickly and solve cases quickly and be scrutinized for it," said Clawson Police Officer Lindsay Brozich.
Clawson already has four Flock cameras that snap still photos of license plates as an aid to solving crime, as explained by the chief.
"While I understand the concerns of privacy, this is not a surveillance tool. It is used in response to a crime or missing person," said Clawson Police Chief Kellie Bauss.
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The chief pointed to a drive-by shooting, stabbing, and other violent crime cases that were closed with some help from Flock cameras. There are also data-sharing and racial profiling concerns linked to the system.
At this point, the contract with Flock had been struck down in Clawson, and a sergeant had walked away from her position.
As for the sergeant who turned in her badge, it’s unclear what her status is with the Clawson Police Department right now. The chief said they will continue working with city leaders to evaluate tools to support public safety.