'Feels unconstitutional.' Flock camera fight heats up in Milford as Gov. Lamont calls for pause
Tensions boiled over inside the auditorium as some residents yelled from the crowd, interrupting Police Chief Keith Mello's presentation multiple times.
More Stories
Take them down - that's the message dozens of Milford residents are sending to the chief of police regarding flock cameras.
As the controversial surveillance technology continues to ignite debates all over the country, the town held a special meeting on the issue Wednesday night.
It was well-attended.
“This is a wake up call," Therese Eke, of Milford says. "This is 1984, this is surveying people and what happens with our data."
Tensions boiled over inside the auditorium as some residents yelled from the crowd, interrupting Police Chief Keith Mello's presentation multiple times while he was up on stage.
“I don’t think the police department can guarantee that our privacy is being protected," Bryce Ciccaglione, of Milford says.
Last month, a man was arrested for vandalizing multiple flock cameras in town.
Police argue data extracted from flock cameras helps law enforcement solve major crimes, but residents say the tech is too invasive, and poses major privacy concerns.
“I’m sure there are some people that might see the use in them, but they’re treating us all guilty until proven innocent," Sarah Wood, founder of DeFlock Milford says. "They’re tracking all of our data, so they can go back and look at it just in case we do something wrong, which just feels unconstitutional."
Earlier this month, Gov. Ned Lamont called for a pause on the installation of new flock cameras.
He wants the police officer standards and training council to create more thorough rules and guidelines.
“We put in place some rules in the last legislative session that said you can only keep the information for a limited period of time, and you can’t give it to ICE or immigration or those other agencies," Lamont says. "We’re going to tighten that up."
More meetings are expected in the coming weeks.
