Madison County's sheriff has ended the office's contract with Flock Safety, and the roadside cameras set up in the county will be removed. Athens Banner-Herald reported that Sheriff Michael Moore announced the decision. The contract ended in September, according to Chief Deputy Jeff Vaughn.
Why did Madison County end its Flock contract?
Vaughn said several factors led to the decision, including:
- New case law
- The financial cost
- Misuse of the system by law enforcement officers
On cost, Vaughn said the county pays $24,000 a year for eight cameras. He said that money could instead go toward updating mobile units in patrol cars. He described Madison County as rural and said the county has to watch its dollars.
The misuse concerns come from Georgia. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling numerous complaints about law enforcement misuse, and the report says it recently announced the arrest of a police sergeant in Vidalia. Officers across the state, including one in Athens, have been charged with misusing the system. Vaughn said Madison County had gone through multiple audits without that problem.
What changes for drivers?
The cameras being taken down are the ones the Madison County Sheriff's Office runs. The report covers only those cameras. It does not say what happens to plate readers operated by a neighboring city, another county, the state, a business or an HOA.
Vaughn said the office used Flock mostly in criminal investigations and to locate missing people. He said the system helped recover missing people from Madison County as far away as Charlotte, North Carolina. He also said the office had safeguards, including a notification to the captain over patrol and investigations when an inquiry looked suspicious. Those safeguards do not change the removal, since the cameras are going away.
What the report leaves open:
- It gives no date for when the cameras will be removed. It says they will be.
- It does not say whether the removal has started or finished.
- It does not say what, if anything, will replace the cameras.
What to ask the sheriff's office next
Residents who want to confirm the change can ask the sheriff's office when the roadside cameras will come down and whether that work is complete. You can also check the camera map to see which cameras are currently mapped in your area. For background on how these systems work and why cities and counties review them, read how plate readers work. The report does not give a removal date, so that date is the next thing to watch for.