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The Irmo Town Council voted to expand its Flock Safety license plate-reading camera network from 11 to 33 cameras, following weeks of debate over privacy concerns. The $403,050 contract passed 4-1 Tuesday night despite opposition from residents who warned of surveillance overreach.
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Here are key takeaways:
- The Irmo Town Council approved a $403,050 contract to add 22 Flock Safety cameras, tripling the town’s surveillance count from 11 to 33 cameras.
- The vote passed 4-1 Tuesday night, with council member Gabriel Penfield casting the sole dissenting vote against the expansion.
- Mayor Bill Danielson said the additional cameras would close coverage gaps, telling the council that “no matter where you go as a fleeing burglar, rapist or child molester, we’re going to be able to track that plate.”
- The cameras capture license plates and rear images of vehicles but do not use facial recognition technology or photograph drivers, town officials said.
- Resident Bernie Dotson cited instances of Flock camera abuse in South Carolina, Wisconsin and Kansas, quoting Benjamin Franklin: “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
- Five police officers in Albany, Georgia, were fired and arrested this month after allegedly accessing town cameras for “non-law enforcement purposes,” and two Flock camera poles were intentionally cut down in Pageland, S.C.
- Flock Safety automatically deletes stored data after 30 days, and all data collected is owned by the town, a company spokesman told the council.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
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