MOUNT VERNON — Flock cameras are built to keep tabs on cars. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office, however, has decided it’s time to put brakes on the cameras themselves — at least for now.
KCSO announced Aug. 5 that it’s stepping back from plans to implement Flock Safety cameras. This decision includes all Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) and public safety cameras, according to Knox County Sheriff Daniel Weckesser.
The decision was made after discussions with the office’s command staff, deputies and members of the community. Potential benefits were also considered, according to Weckesser.
“We are giving up a law enforcement tool that could assist us with solving a lot of different criminal elements. But I think we need to take a step back and get a little more information before we move forward with these cameras,” Weckesser said.
Flock cameras are automated license plate reader systems used to capture vehicle-related information. As a motion-activated system, the technology captures license plate numbers and other vehicle-related information as cars pass by.
The Mount Vernon Police Department currently utilizes eight Flock cameras. However, KCSO’s decision regarding Flock cameras does not affect MVPD’s existing use of it’s system, according to Weckesser.
KCSO had been offered a grant of $54,000 that would have covered 17 cameras, according to Weckesser. This grant was part of the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Project Safe Neighborhoods through the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.
However, the grant was declined due to concerns over safety and security of the information collected by the cameras.
“I’m concerned about hacking,” Weckesser said.
The sheriff said any future use of the technology would need stronger safeguards and clear parameters governing who could access the data and how it could be used.
Currently, violations of policies governing some law enforcement tools can carry penalties as serious as a fifth-degree felony or higher, Weckesser said.
KCSO would want any future Flock system to ensure information is not sold or provided to outside, private entities, he said.
“I believe that it should be law enforcement only,” Weckesser said.
Costs and public record concerns
There are also concerns over the potential workload caused by maintaining a Flock camera system.
KCSO is already dealing with a significant number of public records requests, Weckesser said. Adding another source of records, like Flock cameras, could require additional personnel.
“I know from listening to some of the other agencies that have Flock cameras and how much of a burden that is put on them,” Weckesser said.
With an increased demand, Weckesser said, the office could potentially need to add an employee to keep up with records related to the cameras, adding another expense
The cameras themselves also could create costs when damaged.
Weckesser said destroyed cameras can cost about $1,000 each to repair, with those expenses potentially coming from taxpayer’s money and the department’s budget.
“If the public is upset about these cameras and what have you, (that) could potentially cause them more problems on the street,” Weckesser said.
Giving up a tool
Despite the concerns, Weckesser said Flock cameras can provide a valuable investigative tool.
Flock cameras have potential to help law enforcement identify vehicles connected to criminal investigations and determine where suspects have traveled, Weckesser said.
Earlier this year, Flock cameras were used to help identify a suspect in a Licking County shooting. Knox County law enforcement would not have known the individual had entered the county without Flock cameras operated by another agency, according to Weckesser.
However, the sheriff said those potential benefits have to be weighed against concerns about privacy and security.
Future use remains possible
The Aug. 5 decision is not a permanent rejection of Flock cameras, Weckesser said.
If KCSO becomes more comfortable with how the technology protects information, Weckesser said the agency could reconsider the cameras in the future.
Any future public safety camera system would need strong security protections and clear policies regarding access to collected data, Weckesser said.
“We need to take a step back and get a little more information before we move forward with these cameras,” Weckesser said.
