The Ord City Council passed a vote supporting the removal of FLOCK automatic license plate reader cameras in city limits last night. The vote was 5-0, with one member absent.
The Ord Police Department said on its Facebook page in part: “We agree that while FLOCK is a highly effective investigative asset for law enforcement, the technology introduces complex privacy concerns that warrant a national-level conversation. Our ultimate mandate is to serve you in a manner that firmly protects both the public and your personal liberties.” The full statement is below.
According to the website DeFlock, a website that tracks automatic license plate reader cameras and their locations, there are two flock cameras in Ord, and eight in Valley County. The state has 407 cameras, according to the website.
Automatic license plate reader cameras on roads have been used to support criminal investigations, find stolen vehicles, and alert officers to vehicles associated with investigations by police departments and other law enforcement agencies across Nebraska.
Some citizens and civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, oppose Automatic license plate reader cameras, stating that they are building a mass surveillance system across the United States.
