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Residents split over Flock cameras as council hears privacy and safety concerns
Summary
Public commenters at the meeting pressed the council on the Flock license-plate camera system: privacy advocates warned of Fourth Amendment risks while former officers and parents urged measured use, saying the cameras can aid investigations and protect children.
Delaney Davis, a Clinton resident, used her public comment time to raise constitutional and privacy concerns about the Flock system.
"The 4th being, it violates our 4th Amendment right to privacy," Davis said, arguing the system could enable broad location tracking and shift burdens onto defendants.
In contrast, Scott Ray, speaking as a parent, urged a pragmatic approach: "Right now, I think, what we need to do is really focus on what's safest for the kids and our staff and our residents and the police," he said, adding that systems can be improved rather than discarded.
Joe Walker, a former law enforcement officer, told the council the cameras have helped locate wanted offenders and argued for access controls and accountability measures rather than elimination of the network.
The public comments prefaced a long police presentation; council members asked staff to continue public outreach and to provide clearer information about who can access images and how retention and audits will work.
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