Quincy residents urge city leaders to ban use of Flock cameras

QUINCY, MASS. (WHDH) - Dozens of Quincy residents urged the City Council to ban the use of Flock cameras at a meeting Tuesday night, while law enforcement members argued the controversial technology is crucial for public safety.

An oversight committee heard from multiple people who spoke out against the license plate-reader technology, sharing concerns about data sharing, individual privacy, the misuse of the cameras, and oversight and accountability.

“I also would like to express my serious concerns regarding the Flock safety cameras. These cameras passively track the movemnt of every vehicle and person that passes, not just vehicles tied to active criminial investigations, but everyday people just going about their lives,” one resident said.

“Clearly us residents have made our answer of where we stand on facism, so the question is, where does the City Council stand, where does Quincy Police Department stand, and where does the mayor stand?” another resident asked.

Quincy currently has 49 Flock cameras. Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy said the department has 48 officers who are approved to use the technology, and the deparment issued a policy to prevent its misue in January. Kennedy stressed that of the 689,000 license plates captured by the system, only 76 were searched in the last 30 days. He said the technology has been used for solving crimes, including two homicides, as well as kidnappings and sexual assaults.

“We’re not told whose vehicle that is. Flock doesn’t have acces to the RMV, the detective has to take the next step and run that plate,” Kennedy explained.

“I just hope that you don’t get rid of one of the more valuable tools to solve violent crimes,” said Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey.

The City Council will decide what next steps to take.

Multiple Massachusetts communities have banned the technology over the last few months after an outcry from residents.

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