2 Eastpointe police employees accused of misusing Flock as officials terminate contract

As the Eastpointe City Council voted to terminate its contract with Flock cameras, officials say two police department employees were under investigation for allegedly misusing the technology.

Following the vote at Tuesday's city council meeting, Eastpointe officials say the police department will discontinue use of the technology and examine other available tools for investigating crime. Officials say the administration and the city attorney are working on the termination procedure.

Meanwhile, Police Chief Corey K. Haines announced on Wednesday that an investigation found that two employees had misused the license plate readers — one for personal use, and the other was a policy violation. The employee accused of using Flock for personal reasons received "severe discipline commensurate." The other incident remains under investigation.

"Additional safeguards have been implemented to prevent the misuse of all sensitive information. The City has and will continue to review any reports of misuse of Flock systems in accordance with City of Eastpointe Police Department policies and procedures," Haines said in a statement.

It is unclear whether the city councilmembers were aware of the investigations when they voted.

The city is joining other communities that are canceling their contracts with Flock, as privacy concerns swirl throughout Southeast Michigan.  

The Bedford Township Downtown Development Authority ended an agreement with Flock after Monroe County officials voted in favor of a resolution to halt funding for the service in county-funded areas. Officials believe other communities in the county will soon follow suit. 

In Livingston County, officials took down Flock cameras after nearly a dozen were damaged, resulting in $5,000 in costs to the sheriff's office.