Residents urge restrictions on ‘flock’ license-plate cameras and call for secure entrances

Several residents used the public comment period to raise concerns about the district’s consideration of automated license-plate capture systems often referred to as Flock cameras and about building security.

Jane Owen, who identified herself as a resident and district parent, told the board she opposes installing a second monitoring system and described the technology as “excess spending and an invasion of civil rights.” She said the system would primarily capture non-student vehicles and worried about monitoring of out-of-state plates.

Another resident who identified himself as Robert said he had audited the Flock system in a neighboring district (Oconomowoc) after researching that district’s installation. He told the board he found evidence, in public-records responses and audit work, that school resource officers had used the system to track vehicles at late hours. Robert said he shared his findings with the ACLU and urged Arrowhead to adopt strict policies limiting access: “No one at the school should have access to this system. Law enforcement and law enforcement only,” he said.

Robert also raised physical-security concerns, saying he had repeatedly tested the school’s front entrance and could enter without additional questioning; he recommended constructing a secured entryway rather than deploying plate readers as a campus-security solution.

Board members and the finance committee noted they had requested more information and agreed to push the license-plate reader discussion to next month so members could review details provided after the June committee meeting. No formal board decision to purchase or deploy plate readers was recorded in the meeting.