Flock Camera
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The mayor and some city leaders in Alexandria believe Flock cameras have no place in their community. It comes as the cameras spark conversations across the nation about privacy concerns.
What we know:
During a city council meeting Tuesday, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins said she doesn't think Flock has a role in the city. She was joined by two council members who agreed with her.
Councilmember Abdel Alnoubi said they cannot compromise civil liberties in the name of public safety.
"As we learn more and more about these systems, like Flock, and as we see concerns, we should be looking at other alternatives," Elnoubi said. "That doesn't mean we stop using technology. We should give our law enforcement the tools they need to do their jobs, but again, without impeding on our civil liberties."
Alexandria currently has about 61 Flock safety automatic license plate readers operating across the city.
At Tuesday's meeting, Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire responded to questions about how the cameras are used, who has access to the footage and if it is shared with private companies.
The police department launched a new website to answer some of the common concerns. Department officials said the data is not used for immigration enforcement and is only retained for 21 days. The department does not provide access to federal agencies or law enforcement outside of Virginia without a court order.
The Flock cameras did not spring up overnight. They have been in operation for the past several years.
What they're saying:
A growing movement called "De-Flock Alexandria" is hoping to get the cameras removed and have the city avoid working with any similar vendors that use automatic license plate readers.
"We’ve seen misconduct. We've seen people being pulled at gunpoint by police when it turns out there was a misreading," said Mo Seifeldein, member of De-Flock Alexandria. "So, there's more danger to our personal lives and liberties as well. We just don't think, in our community, Flock or any other system will work."
What's next:
The mayor and the city council have asked the police department to conduct research into other vendors that could be used.
A De-Flock Alexandria meeting will be held at the Burke Library on Monday, Sept. 14, at 5:30 p.m., which is open to the public to discuss next steps.
The Source: Information in this article is from an Alexandria city council meeting.