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Resident tells council FOIA found large spending on police tracking system with no written use policy
Summary
During public comment, resident Ray Ingalls said FOIA records show roughly $500,000 spent over five years on a police tracking system but no written policies on who may use it, for what purposes, or auditing; he urged council oversight and clarity on whether the department is connected to a national lookup.
A Farmington Hills resident urged the council on Feb. 23 to review the city police department’s use of a vehicle/location tracking system after a review of public records. Ray Ingalls told council he had filed FOIA requests for contracts and policies and concluded the city has spent about $500,000 on the system in five years, but he found no written policy governing usage, auditing or reporting.
Ingalls said he could not find documentation showing whether the city has opted into a national lookup that would allow other agencies to search the records and said national reporting has shown cases elsewhere where officers misused similar systems to track acquaintances. He recommended the council examine oversight, tracking, and liability and asked for improved policies to ensure appropriate use and auditing.
Mayor thanked Ingalls for bringing the matter to the council’s attention. No formal council response or action was recorded during the meeting; the comment was entered into the public record.
