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Bloomington mayor defends use of Flock license-plate cameras, promises review of data controls
Summary
At a virtual town hall Mayor Thompson said Bloomington’s Flock system is limited to license-plate reads, data are deleted after 30 days, and access requires an active case number; the administration will meet Flock in February to seek stronger contractual safeguards and invited public input.
Mayor Thompson said Bloomington uses Flock systems to support targeted investigations and that access to the data is tightly controlled, responding to residents’ privacy concerns at a Jan. town hall. “Flock is not a surveillance system,” Thompson said, adding that the system “captures license plates” and that records are deleted after 30 days.
Why it matters: Residents raised examples of other cities that have canceled similar programs and asked whether the safety benefits outweigh privacy risks. The mayor cited Flock’s role in solving child abductions, murders and locating endangered missing elders as the program’s principal public-safety uses.
Councilmember Isabel Piedmont Smith, who helped bring the issue to the administration’s attention, said the city is taking public concern seriously. Thompson said Bloomington currently requires a law-enforcement case number to query Flock data and limited direct access to Bloomington Police Department staff. She said the administration is meeting with Flock in February and will keep the public updated on contractual terms and any changes to data access.
What officials said: Thompson said the city has negotiated what she called “the strictest data agreement with Flock that exists,” and emphasized the desire to prevent any outside agency — including federal entities — from accessing local data without oversight. “We are taking the Flock investigation very seriously,” she said, and invited residents to offer ideas for additional safeguards.
What residents asked: A participant, identified in the chat as Jean, noted that similar programs have been rejected or canceled in at least 23 communities and asked how Bloomington balances the safety benefits against civil-liberties risks. The mayor repeated that Flock’s records are license-plate reads only and urged people to participate in shaping local policy.
Next steps: The administration will meet Flock in February, then provide public updates about contractual protections, access controls and any policy adjustments.
