FPI: Indiana communities rethink Flock surveillance cameras

by Carson Gerber

INDIANAPOLIS (Free Press Indiana News) - A growing number of Indiana cities and counties are doing away with license plate reading cameras after fierce pushback from local residents saying the devices violate their constitutional rights.

In just the last 30 days, officials in Fort Wayne, Chesterton and Marshall, Starke, Kosciusko and Noble counties have voted to cancel or not renew contracts with Flock Safety, the nation’s largest provider of the devices.

Those communities join Bloomington and Monroe County, which were among the first in the state to cut ties with the company due to residents’ concerns that the devices amount to an illegal search and seizure.

The cameras take photos of vehicles and their license plates as they pass by. The photos are added to a searchable network used by law enforcement agencies. Police argue the cameras provide automated, real-time vehicle data that significantly speeds up criminal investigations and helps locate missing persons.

In Indiana, there are more than 3,700 automated license plate readers, including at least 2,930 documented Flock Safety cameras, according to crowdsourced tracking data from the nonprofit Eyes Off Indiana, which calls for more regulations of the cameras.

That ranks the state ninth in the nation for the total number of cameras.

Backlash grows

Walker Lasbury, president of Eyes Off Indiana, said the devices have created a rare “unicorn” issue drawing opposition from both conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity and left-of-center organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union.

Both organizations have recently launched campaigns in the state to raise grassroots support for banning or regulating the systems, contributing to the growing backlash, he said.

“It seems like everyone’s starting to take notice of this issue, and they’re starting to bring the issue to their local elected representatives,” Lasbury said.

Fort Wayne council members said they voted to end their contract for 36 Flock cameras after an “overwhelming” number of residents reached out opposing them.

In Kosciusko County, the council voted on Sept. 10 to end its contract after hours of public comment in opposition.

Resident Greg Henderson told the council the cameras represented government overreach and pointed to instances in which officers used incorrect data provided by the devices to arrest or detain innocent people.

“My point is that these systems aren’t infallible,” he said. “They’re not inerrant.”

Indiana has no laws regulating the cameras. Lasbury said he supports the cities and counties that have ended contracts with Flock, but argued state lawmakers need to take action to protect every person.

“When you’re traveling from county to county, your privacy protections shouldn’t change,” he said. “For that reason, it’s the job of the state to enact regulation that protects Hoosiers, no matter what county or city you’re in.”

A growing number of lawmakers are expressing concern.

Republican U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman (IN-3) said he is collaborating on federal legislation to restrict or eliminate government use of Flock-style surveillance networks on public roads.

“We don’t want to be Russia,” he told 21Alive News on Wednesday. “We don’t want to be a communist country where the government can watch our every move.”

‘Help solve crimes’

But other cities are doubling down on using the cameras.

Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour said he fully supports Flock cameras for the “positive results it has provided.” He said officers are required to take special training to use the system to reduce misuse.

“All we want to do is to help solve crimes,” Ridenour said in a video posted to Facebook.

In Michigan City, the police department is asking the city council for $300,000 to install seven more swivel cameras and buy a portable Flock Safety Trailer and a new drone. Assistant Chief Kyle Shiparski promised city council members additional safeguards if the money is approved.

“The goal is legitimate access when officers need it, documentation when they use it and accountability afterwards,” Shiparski told the council Tuesday.

In Fort Wayne, after the council voted to end its Flock contract, the police department said in a statement that the devices had “proven to be a valuable investigative resource for our officers and detectives.”

“The department continues to believe it can be used responsibly while maintaining appropriate safeguards for privacy, accountability, and oversight,” the release said.

Carson Gerber wrote this article for Mirror Indy.