Community Members Encouraging Residents to Speak Out Against Genesee County’s Use of Flock Cameras

A group of community members gathered outside of the Genesee County offices in downtown Flint with a simple message on March 9: they want the Genesee County Board of Commissioners to reject both its current use and proposed expansion of Flock surveillance cameras as a law enforcement tool in the county. 

The Board of Commissioners is expected to vote on two proposals at its next meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11. One is a $60,000 contract renewal to continue operating the approximately 30 Flock cameras deployed in the county through September of this year. The board is also considering a $30,000 proposal that would allow them to expand the use of the cameras.

Critics of Flock cameras, which are Artificial Intelligence-powered automated license plate readers, point to a wide range of issues with the technology including a lack of transparency surrounding how data is stored and shared across government and law enforcement channels, who can access that data, questionable effectiveness in crime prevention, increases in racial profiling, surveillance of protestors, and more.

“The decision (by the board of commissioners) will either be about investing in surveillance infrastructure that monitors our neighbors and expands policing, or it’ll be about choosing instead to invest in the kinds of support that actually improve peoples’ lives through resources, opportunities, and community investment that helps individuals, families, and neighborhoods thrive,” said Lucine Jarrah, a coalition member in the Flint Alliance for Immigrant Rights (FAIR), a volunteer coalition that was established out of community meetings and dialogues and works to protect and support the Flint area’s immigrant community. FAIR members held the press conference and have encouraged community members opposed to the use of the cameras to speak up.

Flint resident Taylor Sampson pointed out many of the issues nationwide that have been chronicled in other communities that use Flock cameras. Those include the fact that the systems have proven to be hackable and not always secure, there have been cases of wrongful arrests and mistakes in identifying individuals while relying on the cameras, increased costs for record keeping and other operational strains on government departments, and even cases where law enforcement officers have used the technology to track or stalk people who are not under investigation or accused of any crime. 

“Genesee County should not be another (municipality) having to deal with the consequences of these cameras,” Sampson said. “We are asking the commissioners to go ahead and please rescind these contracts or do not assign any future contracts to Flock.”

Sampson also pointed out that mistakes or misuse of the cameras have resulted in expensive lawsuits and settlements for municipalities. Many local governments have rescinded their contracts as a result of the combination of public pressure from concerned residents and problems with the technology. NPR reported in February that as many as 30-50 communities across the U.S. have or are considering discontinuing use.

Resident Lauren Kent discussed accusations that the presence of Flock cameras increases incidents of racial profiling – 404 Media reported that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have tapped into Flock data to assist in targeting people, and the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations have pointed out that the large clusters of the approximately 80,000 cameras deployed nationally are in urban areas. 

“What do we see as a result?” Kent said. “Concentrated flock cameras in urban areas, sprinkled throughout cities on major roads and highways and they’re just looking to add more.”

Community member Todd Womack pointed out that in addition to privacy concerns, the fact that Flock is a private company and not a governmental entity, the company can’t be compelled to disclose more information on its policies, how it collects data, who it provides or sells it to, or other matters of public interest through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Womack also pointed out that many reports indicate increased use of surveillance technologies like Flock cameras don’t necessarily correlate to reductions in crime. He cited other methods, like neighborhood watches, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), and other community-focused tactics as more effective and less error-prone.

“We the residents are asking the Genesee County Board of Commissioners to show us the data,” Womack said. “Real community safety comes from our citizens (not surveillance).”

Locally, Genesee County residents have been appearing at Genesee County Commission meetings for the past three months to oppose the use and expansion of Flock systems. Now, as the issue is once again in front of the board for possible action, the FAIR coalition is encouraging residents to attend Wednesday’s meeting, make a public comment, and contact their representatives prior to the meeting. They’ve created a toolkit with contact information and other materials to assist anyone who wants to make their voices heard on the issue.

Both within Genesee County and in other municipalities who have considered whether or not to continue using Flock cameras, the concerns around surveillance have been shared by elected officials from both major parties. The state of Michigan is currently considering bipartisan legislation that would regulate how police are able to use license plate reading cameras. And on the Board of Commissioners, Republican and Democrat officials have expressed some concerns with the technology during discussions at previous meetings this year. 

“We’re calling on the Board of Commissioners to make that choice: end the current Flock contract, reject any new contracts, and prioritize investments that truly strengthen our community,” Jarrah said. “We encourage the community to attend the meeting, speak during public comment, and make their voices heard.”