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GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) — The automatic license plate readers, or Flock cameras, popping up along roads and highways across the state remain a frequent topic in some Michigan communities.
Some areas are starting the process of even removing Flock cameras.
Garfield, Peninsula, and East Bay townships each have an agreement with Flock.
According to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office, the cameras have been a big assist to law enforcement.
According to Capt. Chris Clark, Grand Traverse County has 27 Flock cameras between three townships.
Garfield and East Bay townships both have a five-year contract with the cameras that started in 2023.
“They’re a very valuable tool for us,” said Clark. “We’ve had multiple cases where missing persons have been found. We’ve had stolen vehicles recovered through the utilization of the Flock LPR system.”
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However, some Michigan communities are deciding to stop using the cameras altogether.
Madison Heights, a suburb outside of Detroit, voted last week to disconnect the community’s Flock cameras, saying when the contract expires they will not be renewing it.
With two years left in East Bay and Garfield Township’s contracts, township representatives told UpNorthLive they aren’t planning to revisit the agreements any time soon.
Clark said it wouldn’t help law enforcement if the cameras were removed.
“That has the potential to lengthen investigations or also allow us not to have a quicker resolution for certain crimes,” Clark said.
Some organizations, like Deflock Northern Michigan, have been visiting county and township board meetings to advocate for the cameras to be removed.
“This is not something that we need right now; it is an affront to our Fourth Amendment, that we can still have good law enforcement while still also protecting our civil liberties,” said Dr. Mitchell Distin, founder of Deflock Northern Michigan.
As far as Grand Traverse County, it doesn’t look like the cameras will be going away any time soon.
