As controversy swirls around Flock Safety cameras and other automated license plate readers, interested consumers can check a website to see if they have been "Flocked."
The independent website, Have I Been Flocked, allows consumers to enter their license plate information to see if it has been searched.
The results do not show if your vehicle simply passed a camera, according to the website. Instead, the results include records of searches performed by Flock's customers. The license plates and given search reasons are what someone manually entered into the system, the website states.
According to the website, a search result means an operator on the Flock system queried the database for your license plate.
If you type in your license plate and get "No Searches Found," it doesn't necessarily mean your license plate has never been searched. According to the website, its data is incomplete, and its website only displays searches from audit logs it has gotten through public records requests.
The website also allows consumers to search by state to view agencies' search records. In Connecticut, the agencies accessing the camera information are primarily state, municipal and campus law enforcement.
Connecticut State Police, for example, have conducted searches for a variety of reasons. Some recent examples include homicide, arson, drugs/narcotics cases, robberies, and missing people.
Proponents of the cameras say they are a valuable tool for law enforcement and have helped solve crimes and find missing people.
Flock says it has about 120,000 cameras operating in 49 states, including Connecticut. According to Flock, in July alone, its technology was involved in detecting over 1,000 missing people and over 20,000 stolen cars.
Civil rights groups, such as the ACLU Connecticut, have cautioned the cameras and surveillance structure are a threat to privacy, and can be used on people "who are simply exercising their rights, whether that looks like visiting a health clinic, attending a protest, or going to worship."
On Aug. 7, Gov. Ned Lamont announced he is calling on the Connecticut Police Officers Standards and Training Council to conduct a review.
Lamont gave the council a month to develop guidance for police which outlines privacy provisions in existing state statutes and recommends policies that should be adopted.
Lamont urged municipalities in Connecticut to pause the installation of any new cameras and ALPRs until the council has finalized this guidance.
"I am in agreement with the many residents across Connecticut who are seeing this technology being implemented by their towns and are wondering what types of privacy protections are being implemented for ordinary people who are just going about their lives," Lamont said. "I understand that this equipment is intended to keep our towns and roads safe—and that's a good thing—but we must have clear policies in place regarding what is happening with this data, who has access to it, and how it can be used."
Read more:
How To Know If You've Been 'Flocked'
Old Lyme Road Safety Panel Reviews Dangerous Intersections And Traffic Cameras
Milford Republican Aldermen Call For Swift Resolution To Flock Camera Controversy
Milford Officials Weigh Future Of Controversial Flock Cameras
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