A Hood County constable announced earlier this week that he has shut down Flock cameras across the county.
Hood County Precinct 2 Constable, John Shirley posted on Facebook that he had “finished the job” of completely unplugging and covering the county’s Flock camera systems.
“This is what limited government looks like. People in Hood County shouldn’t have to wonder if every trip they take is being logged and stored. I’m proud we got this done. It’s a real win for the citizens of this county,” Shirely wrote.
Flock cameras are automated license plate readers made by Flock Safety. The solar-powered cameras capture vehicle license plates, make, model, color and other identifying features. The information is stored in a searchable database used by law enforcement agencies and private communities.
In April, the Hood County Commissioners Court voted to end the county’s relationship with the company. On Aug. 11, the court unanimously voted to have three of the county’s cameras disconnected and covered until they can be removed.
The decision to remove the Flock cameras comes amid mounting scrutiny over the use of the systems.
Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that police officers had been accused in more than 40 cases of improperly accessing license plate reader data to allegedly stalk women.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley publicly apologized and told CBS News that his company will “continue to move forward because until everyone has an equal level of safety in this country, we have work to do.”
The company also announced a new privacy update that reduces the default data retention period from 30 days to seven days. The update also introduces “Evidence Mode,” which allows law enforcement to preserve and access data as evidence for active investigations.
Despite Flock Safety’s efforts to regain public trust, Shirley says that the camera system raises “serious Fourth Amendment and privacy concerns.”
“The answer can’t simply be, ‘Trust us. We won’t misuse it,'” Shirley wrote. “That isn’t an accusation against police officers. Most officers I know are good people trying to do a difficult job. The issue is bigger than any individual officer or agency. Constitutional protections exist because government power needs limits no matter who is holding that power at the moment.”
In a post showing him taking down the cameras, Shirley ended with a message to Flock Safety:
“To Flock Safety Systems: come get your garbage out of my county.”
