Residents press council to end Flock camera contract, citing misuse and surveillance risks

Several Robinson residents used the public‑comment period to challenge the city’s use of Flock ALPR cameras, pressing the council to consider contract termination or more restrictive local controls.

Speakers raised overlapping concerns: Steven Bridges said the presentation was “lopsided” and omitted reported abuses; Jean Smith cited independent research suggesting limited city‑wide crime‑clearance benefits and higher error rates in some deployments; Rick Momey urged immediate termination of contracts, warned of legal exposure and cited indictments tied to misuse in other jurisdictions; Garrett Mott invoked civil liberties and recommended nonrenewal in September or a public vote if legally possible. “This is an invasion of our privacy,” Jean Smith said. Another commenter asked how the city can verify vendor retention claims; the chief replied he could not independently guarantee vendor deletion beyond what the department can see and that the department cannot see records past 30 days on their own interface.

Points of contention included whether Flock retains data longer under multi‑year contracts elsewhere, whether vendor data can be downloaded and stored outside local control, and whether the federal government or other agencies have access to the feeds. Commenters asked for clearer public reporting and independent audits; the council suggested follow‑up meetings, possible surveys and encouraged opponents and supporters to provide further written input before a Sept. 1 decision.

What’s next: the council said it will gather additional input and deliberate at the Sept. 1 meeting; several council members offered to meet individually with residents to hear more detail.