South Fulton residents are calling for answers about how license plate reader cameras are used and what safeguards are in place to protect their privacy.
The questions took center stage during a town hall Thursday night at the Southwest Arts Center.
The event brought together five panelists, including a representative from Flock Safety, to discuss the technology’s benefits and the potential for misuse.
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Flock cameras capture license plate information as vehicles pass by. Law enforcement agencies can use that data to help identify vehicles connected to crimes.
But resident Chris Green said he wanted to know what protections are in place.
“I came out to hear more about the Flock cameras and hear what legislation is going to be implemented to make sure that our privacy is protected,” Green said.
Jalen Johnson, Flock Safety’s government relations manager, said public safety and community values do not have to be at odds.
“I appreciate the conversation tonight because two things can exist. Community safety and community values can and should exist together,” Johnson said.
The discussion comes as South Fulton Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs and Georgia State Senator Jaha Howard push for more oversight of the technology.
Gumbs said that the conversation must include how the system evolves and how it affects residents.
“It’s a bigger conversation about what the system does moving forward about what the system does and how residents are impacted,” Gumbs said.
Johnson said Flock Safety wants to be part of that process, warning against banning the technology altogether.
“We want to be at the table so we’re not on the menu. It would be detrimental for any state to ban this much needed technology,” Johnson said.
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Howard said that he is working on legislation that would limit who can access license plate data and increase accountability.
Any proposed changes could shape how that information is accessed, shared and used going forward.
For residents, the debate centers on how to balance the potential public safety benefits of license plate readers with concerns about privacy and the possibility of misuse.
The town hall marks another step in the ongoing conversation about how the technology should be regulated and what safeguards should be in place.
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