Axios Detroit reported on August 31 that communities across Metro Detroit are removing license plate readers, turning down new ones, and in some cases seeing the cameras vandalized. Police say the cameras help them find suspects, stolen vehicles and missing people quickly. Privacy advocates worry the networks can track people's movements with too little oversight.
Which Metro Detroit communities have acted?
- Westland is letting its contract for 10 Flock cameras expire, after privacy concerns and a divided City Council.
- Ferndale ended its relationship with Flock last year after community concerns. Police there have considered replacing the cameras with Axon technology, Axios reports.
- Madison Heights removed a Flock camera that pointed at the entrance to Jars Cannabis in August. The business protested it with a "No Flock Zone" sign.
- Vandalism has damaged or disabled Flock cameras in Birmingham, Novi, Pontiac, Waterford and West Bloomfield, according to FOX 2, which Axios cites.
Axios describes Flock as the country's largest license plate reader company.
What does Flock say?
Flock spokesperson Melanie Diez told Axios the company takes concerns about safeguards seriously. Flock partners with more than 7,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide, and says it adds customers at roughly 10 times the rate agencies leave.
- Flock recently recommended cutting its default data-retention period from 30 days to seven.
- It says it will require new accountability features by the end of the year to flag unusual searches and record the reason for each one.
- Agencies own their camera data and decide whether to share it with other agencies, Diez said.
Flock declined to say how many cameras or agencies use its technology in Michigan.
What are Michigan lawmakers considering?
Bipartisan legislation is pending in the Michigan House. It would set statewide rules for how license plate readers can be used, how long data can be kept, and what information agencies must publicly disclose.
Kyle Zawacki, legislative director at the ACLU of Michigan, told Axios that opposition has "absolutely been exploding" over the past three to six months. He says it does not split along party lines.
What changes for drivers?
Westland's 10 cameras are set to go once their contract expires, and Madison Heights has removed the one aimed at the cannabis dispensary. Axios does not say whether the Westland cameras are already gone.
The bill would apply statewide only if it passes. Until then, the rules are set city by city and agency by agency. Cameras run by a neighboring city, the county, the state, a business or a homeowners association are not part of these local decisions, so those stay where they are. Use the camera map to see which cameras are installed near you.
What is still unknown?
- Axios does not say how many Flock cameras Metro Detroit communities run in total.
- It does not say when the House will vote on the bill.
- It does not say whether Ferndale has chosen a replacement for its cameras.
The next step on the state side is the House bill. On the company side, Flock says it will add the new accountability features by the end of the year.