OSHKOSH – Oshkosh is sticking with its Flock cameras for at least another year — but not with public pushback.
No fewer than six residents stormed out of an April 21 Common Council meeting featuring a number of other public outbursts against the city’s decision to renew a shortened one-year contract for the contentious license plate readers.
Even with 26 community members speaking out against the resolution, council still voted 5-2 in favor of retaining Flock Safety cameras after agreeing to amend an initial two-year $163,500 contract proposal to a one-year deal amid concerns of privacy erosion, data sharing and misuse.
In approving the Flock contract, Mayor Matt Mugerauer explained: “Adopting advanced technologies requires proper governance and we’re doing that here and we’ve been doing that for the last three-and-a-half years. This has been a very lengthy trial, if you want to look at it that way, if you’re willing to look at it that way.”
What was the public’s reaction to the council’s vote?
Common Council did take into account public comment on the floor by proposing the establishment of a committee to review the Flock contract, but not before community members expressed their clear disgust over the decision.
One resident said council made up its mind before the meeting, interrupting Mugerauer’s support of the cameras as people began marching out of the meeting.
And that came after another person screamed “liar, liar” when Flock Chief Information Security Officer Chris Castaldo said the images captured by Flock cameras do not create a pattern of movement for vehicles.
Of the outbursts, Mugerauer said, “Obviously, in any of these meetings, we hope for people to maintain decorum as this is a business meeting of the city, but I also respect and understand that this is personal for some folks and that’s how they chose to express their feelings on the vote and comments.”
What are Flock cameras and what are they used for?
Solar-powered cameras, Flock Safety readers are essentially tools mounted on poles used to capture the rear of vehicles and analyze license plates to provide other vehicle data in a system.
The company’s client base is composed of more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies, who can search the system for plate numbers, vehicle color, vehicle type or a distinguishable feature to receive real-time alerts tracking stolen automobiles or vehicles associated with warrants or a crime.
Oshkosh has deployed 26 of those Flock cameras across city streets, with council unanimously approving their implementation in 2022 through a state grant covered by Gov. Tony Evers’ COVID relief funds.
Why are community members opposing Flock cameras?
The renewal comes at a cost to the city while the public has pointed to concerns about possible infringement of Fourth Amendment rights, privacy erosion, security vulnerabilities, the company’s data sharing and law enforcement misuse.
In February, Mountain View City Council in California terminated its contract with Flock after an investigation revealed more than 250 unapproved agencies conducted around 600,000 searches of the city’s records over the span of a year.
Both Milwaukee and Menasha have also seen police officers charged after using the Flock system to personally track vehicles belonging to women.
In voting against the resolution, new council member Alec Lefeber explained: “It comes down to trust, accountability and whether public confidence has actually been earned, and right now I do not believe that it has.
Lefeber continued, “I’d rather see us step back, slow down, host a series of well-publicized community conversations, surveys and form a commission around this subject so residents can weigh in more fully on what safety looks like to them, what tradeoffs they are willing to accept and what tools they are actually comfortable with.”
Is there public support for Flock cameras in Oshkosh?
A recent reader callout showed Northwestern readership being split down the middle on Flock cameras, with supporters referencing cases that were solved because of the automated license plate readers.
Just hours before an April 15 community-led discussion, OPD said a Milwaukee suspect listed among Wisconsin’s Most Wanted was arrested in Oshkosh through an investigation that used Flock cameras.
OPD Chief Dean Smith previously pointed to other cases in which local law enforcement used the license plate readers to track down stolen vehicles, illegal firearms and narcotics, and the perpetrators of a pair of hit-and-run cases.
OPD also has a Flock Transparency Portal under its Policies and Procedures that outlines personal use amid concerns of law enforcement misuse.
Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@usatodayco.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @justinmarville.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh keeps Flock cameras after shortening contract to one year
Reporting by Justin Marville, Oshkosh Northwestern / Oshkosh Northwestern
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