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Residents press Sparta council to revisit Flock license‑plate reader contract
Summary
Public commenters urged the council to reconsider Sparta's participation in the Flock fixed ALPR network and submitted a draft ordinance; Chief McCarrick told the meeting the township owns its data, retention is three years, access requires training and case numbers, and audits are performed by county and state coordinators.
A sustained public comment period on July 28 centered on fixed automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) cameras supplied through the Flock network. Kenneth Collins, who said he had circulated a draft municipal ordinance, urged council to ban fixed privately operated ALPR systems and to begin a fresh public conversation about surveillance, data sharing and civil liberties. "If elected officials believe they were approving one thing but later discovered they had approved something substantially different, then the public deserves a fresh conversation based on complete information," Collins said.
Several residents and council members asked for specifics about data ownership, sharing policies, retention periods and audit procedures. Chief McCarrick told the council that data collected by the cameras is owned by the township, that retention follows the Attorney General guidance (currently three years), and that access to the system requires a legitimate law‑enforcement case number and formal training. McCarrick said annual audits are conducted by the department, the county prosecutor’s office and state coordinators. Council members said they would gather more information before considering any legislative action.
