University of Minnesota removes license plate reader in Cedar-Riverside neighborhood

The University of Minnesota says it will remove one of its ten automated license plate reader cameras this week after community members expressed concerns.

The camera is mounted near Riverside and Cedar avenues, not far from campus.

A university spokesperson told WCCO that license plate reader technology has helped them recover stolen cars, make arrests and find missing people.

"After receiving feedback from West Bank community members and reviewing neighborhood-specific factors- including the existing security measures and technology already in place - UMPD determined that removing this single unit was the appropriate step to support community trust while maintaining robust safety coverage," the university said in a statement.

Automated license plate readers are coming down in communities across Minnesota, including in Crystal, Winona, St. Louis County, Sherburne County and St. Paul as residents have expressed safety and privacy conerns.

State Rep. Mohamed Noor, who represents Cedar-Riverside, says privacy is a major concern he's been hearing from community members.

He points to the neighborhood's experience during Operation Metro Surge has shaped how residents view Flock safety cameras.

"We should not be putting Flock cameras right here when we know that the targeted community, when ICE came to the state of Minnesota, was right here," Noor said. "This is not against public safety. In fact, it's about public safety, by building trust, transparency."

The Cedar-Riverside camera, as of Tuesday, has been spray-painted. A Flock camera safety sticker remains visible on the pole.

Next week, Council Members Jason Chavez and Robin Wonsley plan to ask university police and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office to terminate their Flock contracts.

"I don't even want to equate the Flock and these license plate readers under Flock as a tool for safety, because they're not," Chavez said.

According to a state database, UMPD operates nine cameras after they agreed to remove the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office currently operates two Flock cameras. A sheriff's office spokesperson says the cameras help solve serious crimes, including tracking down the man that killed who killed former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.