Cape Girardeau community weighs in as debate over Flock Safety cameras continues

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) — If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, chances are you’ve seen people debating Flock Safety cameras.

Some say they’re an important tool for law enforcement. Others worry they’re another form of surveillance.

To see whether that conversation extends beyond the comment section, FOX23 spent Wednesday speaking with community members across Cape Girardeau. The conversations revealed a consistent divide, with supporters pointing to public safety and critics questioning the expansion of surveillance technology.

“I don’t really like the idea of more surveillance, more technology. I think it takes away from people. I think it takes away from freedoms. I just don’t think more people need to be monitored? With so many cameras everywhere anyway,” community member Cobret Joe said. “Everybody has a phone, there’s cameras on every corner, every ATM machine. To add more cameras, I think is just redundant.”

Others expressed support for the technology.

“I’ve got no problem with the Flock cameras at all. Seems like it’s probably a safe thing to have in your community.” resident Robert Hente said.

Those conversations mirrored what many have been saying online, where questions about privacy, public safety and how the cameras actually work continue to fuel discussion.

To better understand how the system works, Cape Girardeau Police Department Public Information Officer Bobby Newton explained how officers use the technology.

What are Flock Safety cameras?

As questions about Flock Safety cameras continue circulating online, Newton said one of the biggest misconceptions is that the technology is new or tracks the people inside a vehicle.

Newton said automated license plate reader technology has been used by law enforcement for years, with earlier systems mounted on the tops of patrol vehicles. He said Flock Safety builds on that technology by using fixed cameras placed throughout the community, allowing officers to more quickly identify vehicles connected to criminal investigations.

“The Flock cameras are basically a license plate reader camera,” Newton said. “Those help us tremendously for locating stolen vehicles, wanted subjects or if we have a crime where we have a license plate, those will show up on our cameras as they drive by.”

The cameras capture information about a passing vehicle, including its license plate, make, model, color and other identifying characteristics. That information can then be searched by investigators when looking for vehicles connected to crimes, stolen vehicles or wanted suspects.

One of the most common concerns Newton hears, however, centers on privacy.

“Flock cameras do not do any type of facial recognition,” Newton said. “It captures the vehicle and the license plate. We don’t even see who the driver is.”

Newton said the technology is designed to identify vehicles—not the people inside them.

“It’s just the vehicle itself,” he said.

Newton said understanding what the cameras do—and don’t do—is key to addressing many of the concerns he hears from the community.