'People are very concerned.' Lawmakers call for pause on Flock cameras and automated license plate readers
Milford Police Chief Keith Mello says the technology helped investigators solve a recent home invasion murder in town.
Flock cameras are a hot-button issue nationwide.
Residents have expressed their frustration with them during town hall meetings across the state. Cameras across the country have even been vandalized.
Now, Connecticut lawmakers are calling for cities and towns to stop putting them up despite police praising the highly controversial surveillance technology for helping solve major crimes.
"There's some good uses for these cameras, like if there's stolen cars or missing people," state Sen. Bob Duff says. "But that's the thing: trying to find the right balance between privacy and public safety."
Duff says he's calling for the pause so legislators can take a closer look at how Flock cameras and automated license plate readers collect and distribute data.
"People are very concerned," Duff says. "They leave their houses, and they feel like they're under constant surveillance by local and state government or federal government, and then until they get back in the door again."
But police departments say the cameras are vital to catch criminals. Milford Police Chief Keith Mello says the technology helped investigators solve a recent home invasion murder in town.
"We also went to work searching our license plate reader database, which was vital in helping us identify the vehicle that was used in this crime, and ultimately the suspects who committed this crime," Mello says. "Our LPRs and other public and private video cameras have provided valuable evidence."
Multiple Flock cameras were vandalized in Milford back in July.
Right now, there isn't a list of every Flock camera in the state. Duff is asking the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to make one.
"The technology is moving so much more quickly than we can write the legislation, so that's why we want to have this pause," Duff says. "We want to catch our breath, look at what the data is, then be able to write good legislation."
