More Metro Detroit suburbs retreating from Flock
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Flock backlash is spreading across Metro Detroit, with even more communities canceling and reconsidering the license-plate reader system.
Why it matters: Across the region, communities are questioning whether adequate safeguards exist to prevent abuse of the technology.
State of play: Eastpointe City Council voted 4-1 last week to terminate the suburb's Flock contract amid investigations into suspicious searches by two police employees.
- Both were ultimately found to have improperly used the system.
What they're saying: Eastpointe can't adequately control how other law enforcement agencies use information shared through Flock's network, Mayor Michael Klinefelt told WDIV.
The other side: Flock previously told Axios it will require law enforcement customers by year's end to use software that detects abnormal searches and flags them for review.
Zoom in: USA Today reporters examining Flock audit logs identified unusual searches by two Eastpointe employees and alerted the police department, police chief Corey Haines tells Axios.
- Eastpointe immediately locked both employees out of Flock and launched investigations, Haines says.
- One employee used the system for personal purposes and received "severe discipline," Haines says, The other had a legitimate law enforcement purpose but violated department policy in how Flock was used.
The latest: Within 24 hours of learning about the suspicious searches, Eastpointe adopted a stricter policy, established new administrative review procedures, and enabled a Flock feature designed to flag suspicious searches, Haines says.
- A subsequent review of other employees' activity found no additional suspicious use.
The big picture: Eastpointe isn't alone.
- Independence Township recently became at least the sixth Metro Detroit community to cancel a Flock contract, per the Detroit News.
- On Monday, neighboring St. Clair Shores ordered its cameras covered for six months while officials decide whether to resume using them or remove them.
- In Warren, a Flock camera was cut down this week at 8 Mile and Mound, CBS Detroit reports.