FLINT, MI — A plan to grow Flint’s city-wide surveillance network by nearly 50% fell apart Monday night as tensions inside city hall boiled over, forcing an abrupt end to the meeting before the vote could even happen.
The Flint City Council had been expected to consider a proposal to spend $199,550 to add 31 more Flock license plate-reading cameras to the city’s existing network of 62. Police had pitched the expansion as a major boost to their crime-fighting ability amid persistent staffing shortages.
Under the deal, Flock Group Inc. of Atlanta would provide the cameras, with a federal grant covering $160,500 of the cost and $39,050 coming from the Flint Police Department budget. If approved, the contract would have pushed Flint’s total investment in the system past $1.1 million, extending its existing five-year agreement through December 2028.
Det. Tyrone L. Booth told the council the cameras are proving valuable, calling them “good evidence” for prosecutors and crediting them with helping solve murders, assaults, vehicle thefts, and missing-person cases.
Despite initial committee approval, Monday’s meeting fell apart long before any discussion on the camera issue began. A routine resolution recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month spiraled into a heated exchange that left the council at a standstill. After more than 90 minutes of arguing, one member called for adjournment — effectively ending the meeting and pushing all remaining business to a future date.
That includes the Flock contract, which has split the community.
Supporters like Councilwoman Tonya Burns and Councilwoman Judy Priestley say the cameras are essential for deterring crime and catching arsonists, drug dealers, and violent offenders.
“I know we may not like Big Brother watching, but it’s here,” Burns said. “We have to do things that are different when we’re talking about how we police and how we handle crime.”
But residents such as Bill Kessler urged council to reject the expansion, warning that Flint is on the verge of creating a “mass surveillance network that tracks everyone’s movements.”
Civil liberties advocates including the ACLU have echoed those concerns nationally, arguing that Flock’s technology amounts to a private-sector surveillance system that could easily be abused.
The Flint City Council is expected to revisit the proposal at a later date. Meetings are held inside Flint City Hall at 1101 S. Saginaw St.
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What is a Flock Camera?
Flock Safety cameras are high-definition, motion-triggered license plate readers designed to automatically capture still images of vehicles passing through an area.
Unlike red-light or speed cameras, Flock units do not ticket drivers or monitor speed. Instead, they photograph the rear of a vehicle — specifically its license plate — along with the make, color, and any identifiable features such as roof racks, decals, or damage.
Those images are then cross-referenced in real time against national databases for stolen vehicles, missing persons, AMBER alerts, or vehicles linked to ongoing investigations. If a match occurs, police receive an immediate alert.
Departments can also search archived data to trace the movements of a suspect’s vehicle, reconstructing routes and timeframes after a crime has occurred.
According to Flock, the system is used in more than 1,500 cities nationwide, including several in Michigan. Supporters credit it with helping to solve violent crimes and recover stolen property, while critics warn it could lead to mass data collection and privacy violations if not tightly regulated.