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Eastpointe ends Flock camera contract
Eastpointe city leaders have voted to terminate its contract with license plate reader cameras from Flock.
FOX 2 - Eastpointe has become the latest Metro Detroit city to get rid of Flock cameras.
The backstory:
City leaders voted last night to end its agreement with Flock Safety for the license plate readers Tuesday night.
There were 19 Flock cameras operating in the five-square mile city, that will now be removed.
Last night's Eastpointe City Council meeting the decision to end the contract with Flock passed by a 4-1 vote.
Flock Privacy Concerns
What they're saying:
Mayor Michael Klinefelt said he understood the safety benefits and said the city can still bring it back in the future.
"I understand how useful it is as a tool, but I also weigh the intrusiveness into some people's lives, and a lot of people are concerned about that," he said. "They don't like the idea that they are being tracked everywhere and their whereabouts can be looked up necessarily without a warrant or any of those traditional safeguards that would come with tracking GPS on their car or on their phone."
Council member Rob Baker was the lone dissenting vote and brought up the public safety benefit of the cameras.
"I would hate to see the good that is done get thrown by the wayside and the good that it could potentially do," he said. I would hope that no one is in need of that service for, crimes of such a serious magnitude as what has already been, solved using the system."
City Manager Ryan Madis said he was horrified after watching a John Oliver story about Flock, leading him to do a deep dive into the technology.
"They are an incredibly useful crime fighting tool," he said. "Can they be misused? Yes. I think it is a mistake to terminate use of Flock at this time (but) I think we need better guardrails in place."
Other Metro Detroit Flock Contracts Canceled
By the numbers:
Eastpointe is not alone as concerns swirl about privacy, AI and misuse.
Other local communities have canceled contracts with the company, including:
- Independence Township
- Sumpter Township
- Clawson
- Westland
- Milford
How Flock Cameras Work
Big picture view:
Flock cameras are described as automated license plate readers owned by Flock Safety. They use AI to read and record license plates and vehicle details. Though they appear on Metro Detroit roads, some also can be seen in parks and trails where vehicles don't normally go.
They are not hard to spot as you drive down roads like Woodward, Telegraph, or even a small side street. They normally sit on black or gray poles with a camera strapped to the side. A big giveaway is the small solar panel at the very top.
Some residents in Metro Detroit say they're an effective law enforcement tool. However, others say they're too invasive.
The Source: Information for this story is from a YouTube broadcast of Tuesday's Eastpointe City Council meeting and previous coverage.
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