By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Kosciusko County Council is now set to review the use of Flock cameras, a surveillance system that collects license plate information that has become the subject of growing criticism over privacy rights and transparency.
Council delayed a vote on the prosecutor’s budget Tuesday during a budget session after council members Rachael Rhodes and Will Stockdale expressed concerns.
After a long presentation by Prosecutor Brad Voelz, an initial attempt to approve the prosecutor’s budget failed, and council then raised the issue.
“Do we want to just get all the cards on the table and ask all the questions that we have about that stuff before we go on?” Stockdale said.
According to deflock.org, there are upward of three dozen Flock cameras installed in Kosciusko County.
Stockdale summed up their objective, saying they want to “get the misinformation corrected and understand what the capabilities are and whether we want this in our community.”
At one point, Stockdale asked Voelz a hypothetical question:
“If the council or commissioners said we don’t want you to have this now, would you take the cameras down?
Voelz replied, “Absolutely. Your call. One hundred percent. It’s your decision whether or not to fund the cameras. If you do not fund them, then we would have no choice but to take them down.”
Among those attending the meeting with concerns about the cameras were some well-known Democrats and Libertarians, as well as Republican Chris Plack, who applauded the council’s move afterward.
Plack said the topic has quickly become a bipartisan issue of concern.
“I’m really encouraged that the council is going to be addressing this. They are listening to the over-swell of opposition, in my opinion, to these cameras,” Plack said.
Plack also summed up concerns shared by others.
“There should have been open discussion about these before they were implemented,” he said.
Council is now expected to discuss the issue on Sept. 10. Voelz said he welcomes the opportunity.
Council is also expected to seek more information on the proposed $20,00 software system the department wants to add that can help with the collection of information for criminal investigations.
Voelz said the software would dramatically increase the department’s ability to quickly collect information.
Among the questions for some is whether that might incorporate the use of data collected by Flock cameras.
The prosecutor’s budget is also seeking $5,000 earmarked for the Net43 drug investigation team, but it was unclear how much the prosecutor’s department is spending overall each year on the technology.
The department budget also has a line item for Flock camera donations.
The Times-Union reports the vote to delay approval of the budget was 5-2, with Council President Tony Ciriello and Kimberly Cates voting against.
