Monroe County Ditches Flock Cameras Over Privacy Concerns

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Another Indiana municipality is getting rid of its license plate reading cameras over privacy concerns. Monroe County voted to cancel its contract with Flock Safety as the debate over the cameras continues to grow.

Flock cameras automatically take photos of vehicles and license plates as they pass by. Those images are stored in a database that law enforcement can search during investigations.

The cameras will be removed in both Monroe County and the City of Bloomington after both municipalities decided to end their contracts with the company, calling the technology “mass surveillance.”

“I think in general, public surveillance to the extent it exists must remain under public control,” Monroe County Commissioner Jody Madeira said. “And so the local government, meaning Monroe County in this context, shouldn’t collect information it can’t confidently govern.”

Madeira said she was concerned that license plate information and vehicle locations could be accessed by outside law enforcement agencies, including federal officials.

“Although you’re looking at public safety benefits that are local, the surveillance and the liability risks are national,” Madeira said. “And so that’s why it raises bipartisan concerns on every level.”

Opposition to Flock cameras has come from both sides of the political spectrum. Deep-blue Monroe County shares concerns similar to those raised by Republican Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, who has said the cameras violate people’s Fourth Amendment rights.

While Monroe County made its decision with the support of the sheriff, many law enforcement agencies continue to praise the technology, saying it has helped solve crimes and respond to emergencies.

“It’s also helped us find missing people,” IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams said. “All of those things are important in our mission of addressing crime and public safety. Technology helps us get there.”

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has used Flock cameras in countless investigations, with hundreds of cameras installed throughout the metro area.

Monroe County has only six cameras. Madeira said it is worth the cost to end the contract early and is now focused on making sure the cameras are permanently removed.

“The cameras need to come down as well as the contracts ending, because as long as the contracts are ended, but the cameras remain up, we can’t guarantee that the cameras are not functioning,” Madeira said.

Meanwhile, the City of Fort Wayne is still debating whether to renew its contract with Flock. That decision has been delayed multiple times amid significant public backlash.