Rochester halts use of Flock cameras for at least a month

ROCHESTER — After a lengthy discussion with a group of concerned residents, the Select Board halted the use of Flock cameras for the next month. 

Member Adam Murphy proposed the move after attendees voiced their opposition to the surveillance cameras at the board’s Monday, Oct. 5 meeting. 

A group of concerned residents spoke against the cameras, used to collect license plate numbers and other identifying details from vehicles, while Police Chief Michael Assad defended his department’s use of the six surveillance tools placed around Rochester.  

Automated license plate readers are high-speed cameras that capture pictures of license plates and other car details, like a vehicle make and model, as the car drives by a camera. The reader logs and then uploads the license plate information to a database, which can be searched by law enforcement and other operators.

Every vehicle that passes the camera is pictured and logged. That data is saved and stored, which law enforcement can access for up to 30 days, according to the Rochester Police Departmenr's Flock use policy. 

Residents opposed to the use of these cameras cited privacy concerns, including the potential for law enforcement from other towns to use information gathered by the cameras, abuse by police officers searching the database for unsanctioned uses and the long-term storage of the movement of each car that passes a Flock camera. 

Halima Tiffany, one of the people who spoke against using the cameras, said she opposes infringing on people’s privacy. 

“When you build a network of caneras capable of tracking mocements over time, the cinversation becomes much bigger than catching a stolen car,” she said. “It becomes a conversation about how much information the government should be able to collect about ordinary people who aren't suspected of doing anything wrong.” 

Patty Benner discussed her concerns about how the data the cameras collect is stored, used, and potentially sold to third parties. 

“The bottom line is, a mass surveillance network built without proper oversight is a weapon waiting to take away your privacy, civil liberties and ultimately your freedom,” she said. “We should be asking ourselves is this what we really want for our democracy in the town of Rochester?”

Assad defended the town’s use of these cameras, pointing to their efficiency in solving missing person and drug-related crimes, and said there is no expectation of privacy when in public. 

“Flock is not being used to track normal, regular, everyday citizens who are not breaking the law,” he said. “We have to have a reason to put your plate in the Flock and run it.”

Members of the Select Board told residents in attendance they are listening to people’s concerns and will research Flock and details surrounding its cameras going forward. 

Murphy said the halt on using the cameras will be in effect for at least 30 days, but will be extended if the Select Board and town council don’t have substantial information to inform a decision going forward.