Waterford police defend use of Flock camera technology

As the conversation around Flock cameras continues to intensify across the country and in Metro Detroit, Waterford police are now pushing back against what they call misinformation and online distortion surrounding their use of the technology. 

Every resident in northern Oakland County who drives through Waterford Township seems to have an opinion on these Flock cameras.

"I just think infringement on us as a society," said Morgan Hitch.

Ryson Rigind from Waterford told CBS Detroit,  "I think they should be taken down, I think it's a violation of our rights."

As many people attending the Waterford Board of Trustees meetings are voicing their frustrations with the city's police department's decision to use the technology, Police Chief Scott Underwood spoke out about what he says is misinformation.

"Contrary to false claims made at public meetings and online, we do not use any of this information technology to track residents or as part of any mass surveillance," Underwood said at a meeting.

Underwood addressed the Board of Trustees, saying that the license plate readers retain images for 30 days and are not used to randomly track residents or conduct mass surveillance.

"Our 16 license plate readers capture images. That means pictures of vehicles and license plates that are open and visible to the general public," he said.

The police department has spent just over $160,000 on the 16 cameras since January 2022, with the entire amount coming from restricted federal drug forfeiture funds; however, the residents say they wish that money were going elsewhere.

"I think it's like really pointless to have it, I mean, like we could really be spending money on other things, like making everything else better, like the streets. But like we're just using it to like track people," said Tyler from Waterford. 

As residents complain and other communities, such as Monroe County and Sumpter Township, have scaled back or decided against Flock cameras, Waterford police have no plans to take down these cameras anytime soon.