(Photo: Flock Safety)
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A resolution to test Flock drones for law enforcement in Oakland County passed the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, a vote that was met with boos from the audience.
After the vote, the board heard public comment. Many people spoke, expressing strong opposition to adding the drones to the county's law enforcement arsenal, citing concerns about privacy, mass surveillance, and the private ownership of the company providing the drones.
As part of the pilot program that will be overseen by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Flock Group will provide the drones at no cost to the county.
Oakland County Flock resolution
The country will have access to seven Flock drones, which can automatically deploy when 911 calls are made. These drones would be in addition to drones the sheriff's office already uses.
According to the resolution, these drones would be used "during crisis incidents, public emergencies, and in certain public safety operations, to the extent permitted by law."
During the board meeting Wednesday night, commissioners approved an amendment to the resolution that data from the drones will not be retained by Flock and will remain the property of the county.
The county will have until Dec. 15, 2026 to opt out of the program.
If the county chooses to continue with the program after the pilot, it will cost $2.5 million for two years.
What they're saying:
Numerous Oakland County residents pushed back against the drones during the board meeting, which lasted until nearly midnight.
"It could cost our privacy, our rights, and our personal data," one speaker said. "Drone surveillance introduces a public eye in the sky, recording movement, faces, and private property, often without clear oversight or consent."
While privacy was a major concern of many who spoke, several people also noted the cost of the drones after the pilot ended, and suggested that money be used elsewhere.
"We don't need more surveillance. We need more health care, we need more democracy, not less. We need safety that is defined in terms of wellbeing, not in terms of surveillance of people," another speaker said. "I am not going to side with Democrats who think that the answer to public safety is more surveillance rather than health and safety of the people."
Dig deeper:
Flock has drawn concerns over other technology the company offers, including Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR).
Last fall, Ferndale ended its contract with Flock Safety, which provided ALPR for the city. While city officials did credit the cameras with helping them solve major crimes, including several murders,
After hearing feedback from concerned community members, the partnership with Flock was ended, and the city started seeking a new license plate reader provider.
Ferndale ends contract with Flock Safety after hearing concerns, seeks new license plate reader vendor
Ferndale ended its contract with Flock Safety, and is now looking for a new company to provide license plate readers, which the police department says is used to track down suspects and solve crimes.
The other side:
Despite the concerns some have shared about privacy and access to Flock data, the company maintains that the agencies that use their systems are in control of their data.
The company also said that federal agencies do not have access to data collected by its products, another concern that has been raised about its surveillance technology.
Flock has a section of its website dedicated to answering questions about privacy and data. Find it here.
The Source: Information from the board meeting and a copy of the resolution were used in this report. Previous reporting was also used.
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