ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Henry Jones and Aditya Manchanda started a petition this week focused on Flock cameras that are posted at the entrance of Alpharetta High School.
The two students argue the cameras create privacy concerns for students, especially after dozens of Georgia law enforcement officers have been caught misusing the technology.
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“That camera represents the collection of our data,” Jones told Channel 2’s Michael Doudna. “I think it’s just a clear violation of our rights, and it just shows that they’re more willing to claim that they have security at our schools than they are to respect the privacy of their students.”
“We don’t want students who come to school every day to be monitored, what time they go home, who they go to lunch with,” Manchanda said. “It’s a really big safety concern.”
Fulton County School System says the cameras serve an important role in campus security.
They say earlier this year, the technology helped police catch Christopher Ates after he shot and killed a woman outside of Palmetto Elementary School.
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In a statement, the school district said, “Fulton County Schools installed Flock cameras at Alpharetta HS and across the district in 2022. The cameras are now located at all FCS schools and facilities and have supported a variety of safety and investigative matters.
“Flock cameras are only one component of the district’s comprehensive safety strategy, but they provide an important additional layer of security around the exterior of our campuses. They help our police department identify vehicles connected to potential threats, criminal activity, missing or endangered individuals, and other investigations while supporting our broader goal of protecting students, employees and visitors.”
The district further says that the data will “never be sold or shared with third parties, except in situations where it is shared with other law enforcement agencies.”
The students, however, argue schools can maintain security without relying on Flock cameras.
“We’ve had regular security cameras in the past,” Manchanda said. “Police have access to databases that we don’t.”
“The police have access to powerful tools, like outside of Flock cameras. They can access phone locations and things like that to help find suspects. But the difference is, in order to access that data, they need to get a warrant from a judge,” Jones said.
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