Louisiana, Missouri Council Ends Flock License-Plate Camera Contract

The city stopped using them in August

LOUISIANA, Mo. � The city council noted no to automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras Monday, voting unanimously for the removal of all the cameras it has that were installed by FLOCK.

The city hadn�t been using them since August 21, when Police Chief Josh Baker placed plastic bags over the city�s Flock cameras following public privacy concerns and reports of technology misuse in nearby St. Charles County, Missouri.

Before the vote, the council heard from two constituents who urged them to stop using them.

Chief Baker also notified council members that FLOCK is charging $800 to remove each camera.

�I told them two of the seven cameras we didn�t approve of,� Baker said. �We only paid for five. They did agree to take the $800 off of each of those.�

Baker noted he�s heard from other jurisdictions that got rid of FLOCK, that they wound up negotiating a refund for their remaining contract, something he urged the council to request the municipality attorney to pursue.

Baker explained since grant allocations were involved the refund would have to adhere to specific uses.

�The money would not go back to the municipality it would have to go back into public safety,� Baker said. �That all depends on what we were able to negotiate with FLOCK.�

Louisiana is six months into a two-year, $30,000 contract, which was paid up front. The city hopes it could recoup regarding $20,000.

Some council members were concerned regarding the fee to remove the cameras and the fee of using the attorney, suggesting maybe just leaving the bags on them would be better.

�There are some alternatives that the mayor and I have discussed,� Chief Baker said. �Maybe get past their fee, if we were not able to get around that.� (Please reference attached video at the top of this article).

Councilman John Phillips of Ward 4 spoke regarding a slow slide of authoritarian surveillance and an already overabundant presence of technology in people�s daily lives.

He said he was compelled to make a stand against FLOCK.

�I think it�s a threat to our democracy and as a veteran, I will not stand for it.�