SANDUSKY, Ohio — Flock cameras have faced pushback across Northeast Ohio, including in Sandusky, where some community members are calling for greater transparency about how the technology is being used.
For community member Ethan Unzicker, the concerns go beyond what the cameras can do.
“These are tracking patterns and behaviors and creating profiles on people's behaviors without their knowledge,” Unzicker said.
Sandusky launched its Flock camera system about a year and a half ago. The city currently has 10 cameras stationed at locations throughout Sandusky, collecting information about vehicles that pass through their view.
Unzicker told us he is particularly concerned about the ethics surrounding the technology and how it was introduced and implemented.
“What I'm arguing is the ethics of them and the ethics of how they are put into place,” he said.
Sandusky Police Chief Jared Oliver said the department has safeguards in place governing how officers can use the system.
“We don't share information with anybody from outside of the state, and we don't share information with the federal government," Oliver said.
According to the chief, Flock information is intended only for official law enforcement investigations. He acknowledged instances of misuse involving other agencies across the country, but said that is not acceptable or an issue in Sandusky.
Officers are only supposed to access the system when they have a legitimate law enforcement reason to do so.
According to Oliver, the technology has assisted Sandusky Police in several investigations.
“Most recently, we arrested several juveniles for stealing a vehicle. Flock was used in that investigation. We arrested an individual who's alleged to have committed the rape of a child,” Oliver said.
Earlier this month, police also said Flock technology helped investigators identify a suspect in a double shooting in Sandusky.
That crime-fighting capability is one reason some residents want the cameras to remain.
Community member Mike Hall said he supports keeping the system in place.
“I would keep them because it's helping the police get the bad guys and people that shouldn't be committing these crimes,” Hall said.
City adds another camera system
While the debate over Flock cameras continues, Sandusky is also moving forward with another type of surveillance system.
Last week, city commissioners approved nearly $162,000 for Axon to provide overhead recording cameras at city-owned properties.
Oliver said the cameras will be different from the Flock system.
“These are pan-tilt-zoom cameras, and we wanted to find an avenue to assist us in our efforts of providing the best form of public safety in some city-owned properties," Oliver said.
With the city expanding its use of camera technology, community members say they want a better understanding of what the systems can and cannot do.
The city and Sandusky Police Department are hosting a community “Circle Session” to discuss the technology and hear residents' concerns.
Unzicker said he hopes city officials will be open to the issues raised by community members.
“I'm hopeful that they will be receptive to the solutions that we're proposing and the concerns that we have,” he said.
Oliver said he is prepared to address what he considers misconceptions about the technology and hear directly from residents.
"I think there's a lot of misconceptions out there though too, so there's things that we need to clarify for the public and make sure that our community knows what our police officers are doing and what they're using these systems for. And if there's additional safeguards that the community wants, we're open to those,” Oliver said.
Maya Lockett is the Erie, Huron and Richland counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @MayaLockett, on Facebook MayaLockettWEWS or email her at Maya.Lockett@wews.com.
