ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. — St. Clair Shores City Council voted Monday to cover the city's Flock cameras for the next six months while officials reevaluate their contract and what role, if any, the license plate readers should play going forward.
The move comes after months of debate over privacy, policing and how the camera data is used.
Dan Farr, a longtime St. Clair Shores resident, attended the meeting and said he was happy that the city is reevaluating its contract, hoping it leads to an eventual removal of the cameras.
When Farr learned his city approved a 5-year Flock camera program last year, he said he got curious and did some research — but what he found, he didn't like. He raised concerns about data sharing, privacy, and who can access vehicle data collected by the cameras.
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"I don't think our city did a thorough review of it, from the council that approved it, to the information that was provided to the citizens," Farr said.
At Monday's city council meeting, council members appeared to share similar concerns.
"There's no overarching regulations about this which is really scary given how this has grown," Council Member Candice Rusie said.
St. Clair Shores Police Chief Jason Allen gave a presentation and answered questions, but many council members were still not satisfied. Rusie pressed Allen on the question of federal access to the camera data, and the Chief confirmed the FBI had been accessing the city's data for a few months.
Council issued a directive Monday to cover the cameras for the next six months. After that period, the cameras will be reviewed to determine whether they should stay or go.
"During those six months, we will do an investigation. We will do our due diligence, so we're not just waiting til march," Rusie said.
Other municipalities, including Westland and Ferndale, have already terminated their Flock contracts. Others, like Eastpointe, which borders St. Clair Shores, are keeping their cameras in place.
Farr said he remains hopeful the cameras will ultimately be removed.
"I hope they are removed, but I realize that it's a choice for the council, and it's also a choice for our citizens," Farr said.
7 News Detroit reached out to Police Chief Allen to get his response to the decision. As of Tuesday evening, we have not yet heard back.
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