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Select Board hopes for open, transparent discussion about police tech

One of the Flock cameras sits on Hayden Rowe Street. FILE PHOTO/NICK SCHOFIELD

Although the town has moved to end its contract with Flock Safety, the Select Board intends to hold a public forum regarding surveillance technology this week.

Select Board chair Shahidul Mannan explained that after a hearing with the interim police chief in July, the board asked Town Manager Elaine Lazarus and town counsel to review the contract the Hopkinton Police Department had signed with Flock Safety to install two vehicle scanning cameras in town — one on Hayden Rowe Street and the other on West Main Street.

Mannan noted that review was focused on understanding data-sharing privacy and other concerns residents raised at the July meeting. It found gaps in the contract, particularly relating to the town’s contract rules and procurement procedures, he said. The town moved to terminate the contract Aug. 20 and asked that the cameras be removed by Sept. 30.

Flock cameras, which use artificial intelligence to scan license plates, are a controversial technology. Advocates say the cameras are a useful investigative tool, as data can be shared between police departments. Critics worry about the data collected being used for mass public surveillance, along with other privacy concerns.

While the cameras are leaving Hopkinton, Mannan said the public forum during Tuesday’s Select Board meeting will move forward. The goal, he said, is to have an open and transparent discussion about the town’s surveillance systems and how to ensure public safety while also upholding residents’ privacy.

“What is the future we want to collectively determine in these areas especially?” he asked.

Mannan shared his belief that the town ought to be evaluating innovative technologies in the interest of public safety. He wondered about how the town can handle the future of surveillance in an age of rapidly advancing technology in a way that aligns with its principles and the democratic ideals of liberty and privacy.

“We want to understand the public safety value,” Mannan said of new surveillance technologies. He envisioned that the Select Board would be able to use the feedback from Tuesday’s public forum to make more informed decisions and develop potential guidelines for adopting future police technologies.

“Our police have done a tremendous job in keeping us safe,” said Mannan. “We definitely want to support them and make sure they have the cutting-edge tools they need to do their job.”

— NICK SCHOFIELD

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Photo of the Day

A flower blooms at the edge of St. John the Evangelist Cemetery on a recent rainy day.

PHOTO/NICK SCHOFIELD