ADRIAN — Following a recommendation by police chief Vince Emrick, the Adrian City Commission voted unanimously on Sept. 21 to end the city’s contract with Flock Group and discontinue the use of the company’s license plate cameras.
After three years of use, Emrick told commissioners, the cameras have not assisted in as many cases as previously anticipated. In a memo distributed as part of the Sept. 21 meeting’s agenda packet, he also cited the program’s overall cost, public distrust of the cameras, and a reduction in usefulness as more and more jurisdictions pull out of their Flock contracts.
Emrick first presented his recommendation to commissioners at their Sept. 8 meeting.
Commissioners noted that their vote was not tied to the idea of installing raised crosswalks downtown, which Emrick and engineering services director Matt Tomaszewski had floated as a possible use for the money saved by ending the Flock contract. Commissioner Matt Schwartz said that while he’s heard a lot of public support for removing the Flock cameras, he’s also heard opposition to the crosswalk proposal. And commissioner Bob Behnke said that if the city does decide raised crosswalks are a good idea, he’d like to discuss it as part of a future street budget rather than transfer money from the police budget to a road project.
Emrick said city attorney Burke Castleberry reviewed the contract and determined it can be canceled. The city simply has to provide written notice and pay a $500 removal fee for each of its camera sites.
The decision does not mean that all Flock cameras in Adrian will be taken down. Some are operated not by the city, but by private businesses that have chosen to use cameras on their property.
Previously: