Flock cameras turned off in Surprise for ‘anomaly’
Officer under investigation for misuse with disputed system
Courtesy Flock Security
Surprise joined three other Valley cities to suspend use of automated license plate readers, or Flock cameras, after an “anomaly in the use of the system” had been found during a routine audit.
As with any technology-based tool, there are evolving challenges that we must continually monitor and address with appropriate safeguards to ensure transparency, accountability and vigilance.”
Surprise joined three other Valley cities to suspend use of automated license plate readers, or Flock cameras, after an “anomaly in the use of the system” had been found during a routine audit, the city said Wednesday night.
A Surprise Police Officer was placed on administrative leave as the city investigates a potential violation of its ALPR policy.
“The Surprise Police Department seeks to serve our community with the highest level of integrity and dedication, and they proved that again today with their decision to quickly share emerging information related to an audit of the city’s automatic license plate reader technology and take swift action to stop any potential misuse,” Mayor Kevin Sartor told the Independent.
Surprise operates 28 ALPR cameras across the city in a Flock camera program that began two years ago.
Goodyear, Glendale and Apache Junction previously suspended their Flock camera programs as well.
“Public trust is of the highest importance to the Surprise Police Department and maintaining that trust requires transparency and accountably,” Surprise Police Chief Evan Becher stated in a news release. “While we still need to complete an investigation into this irregularity, we are taking this incident very seriously. That is why we took immediate action to halt the program, investigate the issue and make the community aware of it.”
The technology has been controversial in many cities and towns across America. Law enforcement agencies and cities are balancing public safety with personal privacy. The technology has been used to help solve many crimes, such as homicides, robberies and carjackings.
“I support giving our law enforcement all of the tools they need to keep our city safe and catch criminals, but this new technology lacks the adequate guardrails in place to prohibit misuse at this time,” Councilmember Jack Hastings wrote on social media.
Surprise officials said the city will evaluate additional safeguards to strengthen its oversight of the program.
“As with any technology-based tool, there are evolving challenges that we must continually monitor and address with appropriate safeguards to ensure transparency, accountability and vigilance,” Sartor said. “We must take these actions seriously, and I am proud our chief’s decision to step back and pause the use of this tool so we can ensure we have the safeguards needed to use them appropriately.”
Surprise Police Sgt. Rick Hernandez said the department will release information at the end of the investigation or when appropriate beforehand.
“This technology has proven to be extremely valuable in solving serious crimes,” Becher said. “As we look to continue the use of this public safety tool, we want strong safeguards in place that not only alert of misuse but also prevent it.”
The chief said the department will beef up its internal protections before reimplementing the cameras.
Jason Stone can be reached at jstone@iniusa.org. Submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Jason Jason Stone joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2019, after a distinguished three decade media career that included stops at the Arizona Republic, iHeart Media/Clear Channel and Beckett Sports Card magazine. He remembers when airports sold newspapers.
Community: He is a big supporter of the Valley's original sports team: The Phoenix Suns.
Education: Northern Arizona University with a BS in broadcast journalism and a minor in sports coaching.
Random Fact: The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln.
Hobbies: Surfing, backgammon and men who aren't afraid to cry.
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