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Speakers urge council to pause or reject Flock surveillance expansion, flagging accuracy and civil‑liberties risks
Summary
Residents and at least one councilmember raised concerns about expanding Flock and related vendor contracts, citing studies of low confirmable accuracy, risks to prosecutions, ICE access to data, and calls for oversight hearings on ShotSpotter/Flock.
Multiple public commenters urged Cleveland City Council to reconsider or pause expansion of automated surveillance technologies, including Flock and ShotSpotter, and to examine civil‑liberties and accuracy concerns.
Matthew Ahn testified that Flock differs from ShotSpotter because "there is no human in the middle to ensure that the alert is accurate" and warned that vendor-claimed accuracy rates are overstated. Ahn cited academic and independent audits that he said place confirmable accuracy in the single digits and argued the algorithmic model can compound errors over time. He said, "Flock touts an accuracy rate of 90%...but neutral experts have concluded both numbers are inflated." Ahn also flagged litigation: "The National Innocence Project is already litigating cases involving Flock and ShotSpotter," and he warned that algorithmic evidence can derail prosecutions and lead to wrongful convictions.
Councilwoman House Jones raised constitutional and targeting concerns, saying the contracts could enable the targeting of immigrants and other vulnerable groups because of vendor relationships with federal agencies. She said she had submitted materials to council and called for careful review.
Chairing council business about public safety, Council member Polencic announced a special meeting on Friday at 10:00 to hear a presentation on ShotSpotter oversight and results, giving the council an opportunity to review audits and expert reports.
Speakers asked the council to prioritize proven crime-prevention strategies over post‑event surveillance investments and to demand transparency around procurement and any former officials' roles with vendors. The council scheduled an oversight presentation but took no final action on vendor contracts at this meeting.
