After public pushback, Willard Police Department will not renew its contract with Flock Safety for automatic license plate reader cameras.
Willard Police Chief Tom McClain announced the decision Friday, Aug. 21, ahead of the Monday, Aug. 24, Willard Board of Alders meeting that was set to include discussion of the contract. In a city news release, McClain said the decision followed "extensive community feedback."
"The Willard Police Department is committed to listening to the people we serve," McClain said in the release.
The city has 19 Flock cameras through a contract that costs $50,000 and was funded through the Blue Shield Grant, McClain confirmed to the News-Leader. He said initially, his intention was to recommend renewal of the contract but
with fewer cameras in operation, but after surveying businesses and residents in the area, he recognized there was not enough support for this.
The cameras allow law enforcement agencies to search for license plate numbers of vehicles connected to possible crimes and provide investigative benefits. Recently, scrutiny has arisen regarding the lack of oversight of how this data, shared with a plethora of agencies across the country, is used and concerns about the "mass surveillance" the network provides. The release noted it was important for the Willard Police Department to maintain public trust.
McClain told the News-Leader the cameras were a "game changer" for the department in finding leads on investigations more quickly and had helped solve several hit-and-runs. While he said he was sad to see the resource go, the chief recognized the concerns about privacy raised by Flock opponents exceeded the support for the cameras in the community.
At the board's previous meeting, Aug. 10, Willard residents expressed concerns about Flock cameras, with some sharing their support of the tool, during citizen input that lasted nearly an hour. Residents highlighted issues with the advanced technology Flock was rolling out, included the incorporation of artificial intelligence, that went beyond license plate tracking, as well as instances in which the system has been used by bad actors to stalk or track law-abiding citizens.
"No one is calling into question the merit of what these things can do — they can catch criminals," Willard resident Ian Powers said. "The bottom line is I don't know what else they're doing with it ... You have been sold this tool and you've been told that it can do all these great magical things. I do not trust the people behind the technology trying to push it and they're pushing it and you're eating it up."
Halli Weinmann, one of the residents leading the charge locally to oppose Flock in Willard, an effort that started in early June, told the News-Leader previously there were also several concerns regarding the contract's language, which includes provisions regarding data collection and retention. Speaking to the News-Leader on Friday, Aug. 21, after the announcement, she said the group was "really pleased at the receptiveness" from the board and the police department. Now, Weinmann said they look forward to the cameras being decommissioned.
The matter will officially come before the board at its Monday, Aug. 24, meeting, according to the agenda.
This pushback against Flock cameras and similar surveillance networks is not unique to Willard. A group of Springfieldians have also organized and have addressed Springfield City Council calling for an end to the city's Flock contract, which includes 41 cameras used by the police department. Communities around the country have joined the DeFlock movement, calling for the technology to be removed due to privacy concerns.
As in Willard, leaders elsewhere in Missouri are moving to distance themselves from Flock and end existing contracts. The Bolivar Board of Aldermen recently voted unanimously to not renew that city's Flock contract, according to reporting by KSMU, and the Pulaski County Sheriff Stacy Ball shared a letter Aug. 19 telling citizens he had heard their concerns and decided not to renew the county's Flock contract.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Willard Police Department will end Flock camera contract
