A technology designed to help police catch criminals is becoming a growing source of controversy, and in some places, a target for vandalism.
Flock Safety cameras are used by law enforcement agencies across Georgia and the country to capture license plates and vehicle information that can help investigators track down vehicles connected to crimes.
But as the technology has spread, so has the debate over privacy, police access and how the information is used.
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In Georgia, that debate has taken several forms — from protests and calls to end contracts with Flock Safety to investigations into alleged misuse by law enforcement officers.
And now, some of the cameras themselves are being damaged.
In Lumpkin County, the sheriff’s office is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest of the person or people responsible for damaging a Flock camera found in the woods.
The sheriff’s office said the camera was intended to catch sex offenders at a local park for children.
In Decatur, police recently told city leaders that two of the city’s Flock cameras had been vandalized or damaged. One of the cameras was spray-painted.
The disclosure came during a presentation Monday to the Decatur City Commission focused on how the department uses the technology, what safeguards are in place and who can access the information.
“We want to enhance the operational efficiency, but we don’t want to do that at the expense of people’s rights,” one Decatur City Council member said during the meeting.
Flock’s automated license plate readers capture a vehicle’s license plate and state, along with characteristics such as the vehicle’s make, model and color. They also record when and where the vehicle was detected.
Supporters say that information can give investigators a critical lead after a crime.
For critics, the growing network raises questions about how much information about vehicles — including where and when they were detected — should be available to law enforcement
Those concerns have been amplified by cases involving alleged misuse of Flock systems by law enforcement officers.
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Channel 2 Action News previously reported that eight Metro Atlanta officers were suspended over alleged policy violations involving Flock.
The controversy has also prompted organized opposition.
Protesters rallied Tuesday and called on Atlanta-based companies to cut ties with Flock Safety.
Decatur operates 24 Flock license plate reader cameras at an annual maintenance cost of about $62,500. Police say they’re primarily used after crimes to search for vehicles connected to investigations. Searches must be tied to a case number or documented law enforcement reason.
The system can also alert officers to vehicles connected to stolen cars, wanted or missing people and serious crimes. But an alert alone cannot justify a traffic stop. Officers must independently verify the information and have reasonable suspicion or probable cause.
Police say the cameras don’t use GPS, facial recognition or audio and don’t continuously track vehicles.
Access is limited to authorized personnel, searches are logged and department searches are reviewed quarterly. Other law enforcement agencies can also query Decatur’s cameras through the network.
Decatur police say their policies prohibit personal or discriminatory searches and include filters blocking immigration-related and reproductive-care-related searches.
Police also highlighted eight cases where Flock helped investigators identify or locate vehicles tied to crimes including carjackings, shootings, armed robberies and thefts.
For supporters, the cameras are an investigative tool. For critics, the growing network raises questions about how much information about where vehicles have been should be available to law enforcement.
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