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Town to weigh concerns, benefits of vehicle surveillance cameras

FILE PHOTO

The Select Board will hold a discussion at its meeting tonight centered on the use of Flock cameras in town.

According to Select Board chair Shahidul Mannan, the conversation is meant to understand the state of Flock camera usage in Hopkinton and what residents want to know and to hear from public safety officials about the technology.

“The focus is on making sure we have a public discussion,” said Mannan.

Flock cameras utilize artificial intelligence to scan license plates and capture identifying details of a vehicle, such as make, model and color. Law enforcement agencies can use Flock’s network to track specific vehicles nationwide. The cameras have been credited with helping to solve high profile crimes such as a shooting at Brown University last year, according to NPR.

However, the technology has become controversial in recent months for its expansion of mass surveillance capacities across the United States. Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union have raised concerns over the use of Flock cameras by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Reports have surfaced of police officers misusing the technology to stalk romantic partners or other individuals not suspected of a crime.

Mannan said the conversation in town about the cameras is surfacing as other nearby communities such as Framingham opt out of renewing their contracts with Flock. Being able to have this initial conversation will help the Select Board decide how to move forward, he explained.

“There are beneficial applications for police matters,” Mannan said. “At the same time … there’s a legitimate question to be asked about privacy, data retention, oversight [and] who has access.”

Interim Hopkinton Police Chief Scott van Raalten confirmed for the Independent that two cameras are installed in town — one on Hayden Rowe Street and the other on West Main Street near Interstate 495. He also shared the town’s “transparency portal” about the cameras and resources from Flock about its data privacy and surveillance capabilities.

According to the transparency portal, Hopkinton Police utilize the town’s Flock cameras for searches “to solve crimes after they’ve occurred.” Data is owned by the HPD and prohibited uses include immigration and traffic enforcement, harassment or intimidation, use based on a protected class and personal use.

The portal also provides lists of all the organizations that the HPD shares data with and receives data from.

Mannan stressed that the conversation at tonight’s Select Board meeting likely is just the start of a series of discussions about Flock cameras in Hopkinton. He noted he has brought the matter to the town’s legal counsel and said tonight’s discussion would help the board decide how it wants to move forward.

While the discussion at tonight’s meeting will be between board members, Mannan encouraged residents who have input to voice their concerns during public comment.

— NICK SCHOFIELD

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Photo of the Day

A wasp pokes its head out from under a fence railing in a yard near downtown.

PHOTO/JERRY SPAR