The Salida Police Department has made the decision to cancel their contract with Flock Safety and discontinue use of the Flock Automated License Plate Reader system. In a press release, Salida Police Chief, Russ Johnson, said that the department recognizes that the use of technology in public safety must be balanced with the privacy, civil liberties, and concerns of the people served.
He continued that over the course of the department’s partnership with Flock, the community has expressed concerns.
about privacy, data retention, access to information, and inappropriate use of the technology with the Flock system.After a lengthy conversation internally and with the community, Johnson said that cancelling the contract is the
appropriate decision at this time.
“We are all members of the community first,” he said, “and we believe effective public safety depends on transparency, accountability, and an ongoing dialogue with our residents. Community input is an important part of how we evaluate our policies, practices, and partnerships.”
However, the release continues, the department was disappointed to see that one of the cameras was recently vandalized. This behavior cost the taxpayers money and did nothing to change the policies or use of the LPR system. What did change the policies was the members of the community that used their voice and opinions as citizens to influence the change, rather than criminal acts.
If anyone has any information about the recent damage to Flock cameras, please contact the Salida Police Department at 719-539-6880.
