Indianola is the latest Iowa town to switch off its Flock cameras, automated license plate readers which are prompting protests across the nation about privacy and security. Indianola Police Lieutenant Tye Sparks says the Warren County town, 17 miles south of Des Moines, has been using eight of the pole-mounted traffic cameras and they’ve proven to be a valuable law enforcement tool.
As the use of this technology has broadened in Iowa and the country, so has the conversation about privacy, data retention, data sharing, and safeguards that should accompany its use. Sparks says those are fair questions, and they deserve thoughtful consideration, so use of the cameras is being suspended.
Sparks says choosing to suspend the Flock camera program, despite its investigative value, reflects the importance the department places on maintaining the confidence of Indianola’s residents.
The eight cameras in Indianola will remain in place during the suspension pending coordination with Flock. Sparks says the annual cost of the program was around $24,000. Just last week, Waukee ended its contract with the company, shutting down 11 cameras. Reports say there are still some 300 Flock cameras in use just in central Iowa.
