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Resident defends Flock license-plate camera system in public comment to Board of Public Safety
Summary
A Bloomington resident urged the board to retain the Flock license-plate reader system, saying it helps solve crimes and is not a privacy invasion; board members said they noted the concerns and had no immediate replacement plan.
During new business, a board member asked whether the PL (Flock) license-plate camera system was leaving the city and what would replace it. Board and staff initially responded that they did not know.
A resident later identified by the chair as Tim delivered extended public comment defending the Flock system. Tim said he was "very disappointed in the city getting rid of the flock camera system," arguing that the system stores only license-plate data for 30 days and has helped police solve crimes. He recounted his prior law-enforcement experience and an example in which plate-reader data allegedly narrowed a search to a single vehicle and helped identify a suspect.
Tim said many people who object to the system nonetheless share large amounts of personal data online and that the plate-reader system does not capture images of people in cars, only license-plate numbers. He urged the board to consider the system's utility for investigations.
After the public comment the chair said, "your objections are noted. I appreciate your thoughts, Tim," and the meeting moved on without a decision recorded on retaining the system.
The transcript does not include a staff presentation of an alternative system or a formal motion to remove or retain the Flock cameras; the board's next steps on the matter were not specified.
