SOUTH LYON — The city will have two license plate reading cameras installed, joining several neighboring communities whose police departments have been using the Flock Safety technology to nab criminals.The city council voted 5-2 during its Nov. 24 meeting to approve an agreement with the Road Commission for Oakland County for installation of the cameras on 10 Mile Road, a county-maintained road. Councilmembers Thad Bogert and Michael Squires voted no.
“I have concerns over privacy of information collected using the Flock cameras,” Bogert said. “They collect data from every vehicle that passes the camera – the make, the color, the model of the vehicle. And from what I have seen, there is insufficient safeguards to protect the privacy of people in these vehicles. Anyone who is in law enforcement can access this information.”
Police Chief Bonnie Unruh, who requested the council approve the Flock Safety cameras as an investigative tool for police and one which will also assist in locating missing persons, said Bogert was “very correct” that the South Lyon Police would also be able to access the Flock cameras of other agencies, “so if someone is missing in South Lyon and we have a license plate we can put that in and it will tell us where that car has been or is going.”…