The Franklin County commissioners voted unanimously this week to not renew the county’s contract with Flock Safety.
Chairman Dean Horst said on Wednesday, Aug. 26 that the contract, approved last October at a cost of $4,500, would be up for renewal in about 30 days, but he was concerned about waiting even a month given the controversy that has grown locally and elsewhere over the brand of automated license plate readers.
The past several commissioners’ meetings have included discussion about Flock, with concerns that the company’s database can be used to surveil citizens without a judge’s approval. One week earlier, Franklin County Sheriff Ben Sites and District Attorney Ian Brink shared details about how their offices use Flock data, but a number of people spoke out and accused the company of not keeping data safe enough.
“I think we’re at the point now where the lack of public trust in the system really concerns me for us to even stay in this conversation much longer,” Horst said.
The commissioners pushed for legislators at the state and federal level to put in place guard rails on the data Flock cameras collect.
“I think our legislature needs to make a decision on this and not all these local townships and municipalities and counties trying to have different roles, I think that’s troubling,” Commissioner John Flannery said, adding that while the capabilities of the Flock “scare” him, he would approve a license plate reader that doesn’t have a database that can be used to track people.
Bob Ziobrowski, the lone Democrat on the board, said he wants to see restrictions at the level of those placed on health information via HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
He added that he had reservations over Flock and the system’s capabilities last year when the contract came before the commissioners, but he trusted Sheriff Sites and his assurances that the sheriff’s office would practice restraint when it came to using the technology to locate criminal suspects, stolen vehicles and missing persons.
“The database that Flock maintains is the primary reason the company is valued in the billions,” Ziobrowski added. “I believe our sheriff’s contract with Flock imposes a legal liability on account of our taxpayers, and our solicitor has affirmed that concern.”
Greencastle resident Austin McDannell, a leader of the local effort DeFlock Franklin County, commended the commissioners for acting to end the county’s affiliation with Flock.
“It’s like a number of folks said, if (the sheriff’s office) really wants this technology, they can take it out of their own budget — it’s a measly $4,500. but by cutting the contract between yourselves and the sheriff’s office, you set a precedent that you recognize the concerns from citizens and are willing to put their opinions as constituents over government interest,” he said after the commissioners voted.
