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Residents tell Marshall County commissioners they oppose license‑plate cameras, citing privacy and Fourth Amendment concerns
Summary
Two members of the public urged the board to remove license‑plate reading cameras (referred to locally as 'flood cams'), saying the devices collect data on innocent people, raise privacy concerns and lack transparent data‑storage policies.
During public comment, two residents urged commissioners to remove license‑plate readers and related camera systems that they described as invasive surveillance.
Laura Brockway said she and many others oppose the cameras. “I’m not willing to give up my privacy for security,” Brockway said, invoking the Fourth Amendment and calling the devices “police state surveillance.”
Tom Nunez (self‑identified in the record) said his experience teaching computer science and serving as a unit security officer has shown him that such cameras can collect broad amounts of data and that control over where that data is stored and who has access is a serious concern. “These cameras, while they’re small, can **** up an awful lot of information, kinda like a giant vacuum sweeper,” Nunez said, adding that most people captured by the system are innocent and questioned who would control the data.
The board thanked both speakers; no formal action or policy vote on cameras was taken at the meeting.
