With the growing use of technology in law enforcement, Flagstaff’s City Council seeks further input from its residents and law enforcement about the implications of using a license plate reader system. Concerns have been raised about whether this data could be used in federal investigations targeting city residents.
Flagstaff currently holds a contract with Flock Safety, a company providing automated license plate reader technology to various governments in northern Arizona. Both residents and council members have raised questions regarding the usage of the data collected, especially concerning the possibility of federal agencies such as ICE accessing this information.
“Flagstaff owns Flagstaff’s data, not Flock. Flock contractually cannot sell and cannot share your data,” stated Trevor Chandler, a spokesperson for Flock Safety, during a council meeting.
The company has reportedly concluded a pilot program with Department of Homeland Security agencies that previously had access to Flock’s data from different cities.
The Navajo Nation is considering employing automatic license plate readers from this company, which is expanding its presence in Arizona despite facing criticism nationwide.
Jill Stevenson, among many Flagstaff residents, voiced her apprehensions to the council. “The idea of surveillance cameras in Flagstaff recording our locations and activities feels like an invasion of our rights to privacy,” she expressed.
On the other hand, Flagstaff Police Chief Sean Connolly supports the utilization of this technology. “I clearly understand our community’s concern about access by the federal government and the federal administration currently related to this data,” Connolly acknowledged, affirming he does not intend to share the data collected with the U.S. government.
The primary issue at hand is whether to renew the city’s contract with Flock for the upcoming fiscal year. The city initially engaged with the company last year without prior discussion.
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