Crystal police take down Flock cameras after residents express privacy concerns
Police in Crystal, Minnesota, say they're ending their relationship with Flock and pulling the six cameras in the city after hearing community concerns about privacy and data sharing.
Flock's cameras are automated license plate readers that photograph every vehicle that passes by and use artificial intelligence to process the information they capture.
Police Chief Brian Hubbard, in a letter to residents, said Wednesday the department will "completely end our involvement in its entirety" with Flock.
The department is working to return the six cameras and will turn off all data sharing with other agencies during their current retention period, Hubbard said.
"While the use of this tool has been beneficial in solving crimes, recovering property, arresting suspects, and bringing justice to victims, the questions and concerns we've heard from many in the community are vitally important ones," he said.
Residents also said they were concerned about data collection and the potential for misconduct.
Other Minnesota communities, including Winona, St. Louis County, Sherburne County and St. Paul have said they would end their contract with Flock, or opt not to replace stolen cameras.
The CEO of Flock Safety recently announced changes to their system, including cutting down on the time data is retained. Flock's customers can also limit which types of offenses outside agencies can search for in its system, and law enforcement will have to turn on a tool that aims to flag abnormal search behavior.
