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Teacher urges Roanoke to remove Flock license‑plate readers, citing immigrant safety concerns
Summary
A local teacher asked council to terminate any contracts with Flock and remove license-plate-reading cameras, saying data could be accessed by federal immigration authorities and is harming immigrant students' willingness to participate in public life.
A local ESL teacher, Joy Truskowski, urged Roanoke City Council to remove Flock cameras and terminate any contracts with the private vendor, saying the devices automatically record license-plate numbers and could be accessed by federal immigration authorities. Truskowski said some students are now afraid to leave home or attend class.
"We know that federal law demands that police cooperate with ICE... We also know it is easy for ICE to access the flock data if they really want to," Truskowski said, asking the council to "remove the flock cameras." She described reports of poor conditions and abuses in ICE detention and said the presence of continuous license-plate readers contributes to fear among immigrant families.
Council members did not take immediate action at the meeting; Truskowski's comments were recorded as part of the hearing of citizens and staff were asked to note the concern and, if appropriate, follow up with information about existing contracts and data‑sharing policies.
