KBIA reported that the Columbia City Council voted 5-2 on Monday night not to renew the city's contracts with Flock Safety. The vote came at the end of a public hearing where dozens of residents urged the council to separate from Flock.
Second Ward council member Vera Elwood made the motion. Sixth Ward council person Betsy Peters and Third Ward council person Jacque Sample voted against it.
Does the vote end Columbia's Flock cameras right away?
No. The vote does not immediately end the contracts, which officially expire next year. Mayor Barbara Buffaloe said in a statement shared on Facebook after the meeting that the current cameras will remain active through their term.
- Vote: 5-2 not to renew
- Against: Betsy Peters and Jacque Sample
- Contracts expire: March and September next year
What changes for drivers in Columbia?
The vote covers Columbia's own contracts with Flock Safety. KBIA doesn't say what happens to Columbia's cameras once those contracts end.
If you want to see where cameras are mapped near you, check the camera map. For background on how these systems read and store plate data, read how plate readers work.
What residents said at the hearing
Protesters from the group 'Get The Flock Out COMO' gathered outside City Hall before the hearing and asked the city to remove the system. Organizer Krista Murray said the council would be choosing a surveillance state if it decided to continue the contract that day.
At the hearing, residents said the city has not been transparent about how it uses data collected by Flock Safety. Other residents argued the system helps prosecutors and is no different from tracking by smartphones and social media apps.
Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude said her department is committed to using the system to help residents and not to unlawfully invade their privacy. She said people have to have some level of trust in the police chief and command staff, and that she understands some folks will never trust the department.
What happens next?
Buffaloe said she plans to ask the police department at the next council meeting whether there are alternative technologies with better local ownership and strong privacy safeguards. KBIA doesn't say when that meeting is. Residents who want to see what local agencies have published can check the published transparency records.