One of the new Flock cameras will be installed at the intersection of Main and Emery streets.
Photo: Google
By Zendelle Bouchard
By a 4-3 vote, the City Council on Tuesday approved a 60-day free trial of the Flock camera system for use by the Sanford Police Department. Voting in opposition were councilors Jonathan Martell, Pete Tranchemontagne and Nate Hitchcock, who all voiced concerns about how data is collected and used.
Six cameras will be installed, one at the South Sanford roundabout and the others in the downtown area. One will be at the intersection of Lebanon and Main streets recording vehicles heading toward Biddeford, one at Winter/River/Cottage streets looking at eastbound traffic, one at Main and Washington streets looking at southbound vehicles and one at Main and Emery streets recording northbound traffic.
Lt. Colleen Adams clarified that the cameras only record the vehicle and its rear license plate and do not do facial recognition. She said the cameras will save police many hours in tracking suspects and proving cases and may prevent additional crimes if suspects can be apprehended more quickly. She added that the technology can also be used to exonerate a suspect by proving they were in a different location when the crime was committed.
When a vehicle goes through an intersection, the plate number will be automatically checked against databases for missing persons, Amber and Silver Alerts and stolen vehicles. Adams noted that Sanford has almost twice the state average for stolen vehicles per capita.
Councilors Martell and Tranchemontagne registered their opposition to the cameras as an intrusive violation of privacy and their concern that the data could be abused. Police Chief Eric Small said it was his job to make sure no one in the department is using the data inappropriately. The data is deleted after 21 days unless it is saved for a specific case. Adams said it is possible to avoid the cameras if someone doesn’t want their plate number recorded, but Martell responded that drivers shouldn’t have to avoid Main Street to stay off the cameras. City Manager Steve Buck responded that all of us are being tracked already if we carry a cell phone or go to the grocery store.
Springvale defense attorney Dagan Vandemark told the council that other communities around the country have tried Flock cameras and rescinded their contracts due to misrepresentation from the company over who the data would be shared with, including federal immigration authorities. Chief Small confirmed that SPD would share info with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) if requested, as they would with any other federal law enforcement agency, unless a state law is passed to prevent it.
Councilor Hitchcock joined Martell and Tranchemontagne in voting against the proposal, noting that while he doesn’t think SPD would abuse the data, he has too many qualms with the artificial intelligence software that comes with the cameras.
After the vote, Deputy Mayor Maura Herlihy and Councilor Bob Stackpole both said while they approved the 60-day trial, they would be looking closely at the results and how the data were used before approving any permanent contract with Flock. After the conclusion of the trial period, the SPD will report back to the council with that information.
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