SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — Residents will have another chance next week to weigh in on whether South Windsor should remove the automated license plate readers installed along town roads.
The Town Council will hold a public hearing Monday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m. on the potential removal of the cameras, according to a notice posted by the town.
The hearing follows a unanimous council vote Sept. 21 to seek additional public input before deciding the future of the program. The council did not vote that night to keep, pause or remove the cameras, and the hearing notice does not promise a final decision Oct. 5.
South Windsor began using the Flock Safety cameras in April 2025. The town initially installed six readers and later added two more.
The devices photograph license plates and other identifying features as vehicles pass them. Police can search the system while investigating crimes, locating stolen vehicles or attempting to find missing or wanted people.
Opponents have argued that the cameras amount to mass surveillance and have questioned how the information is stored, shared and accessed outside South Windsor. Several residents also criticized the lack of public discussion before the system was approved and installed.
Police Chief Kristian Lindstrom has defended the cameras as an important investigative tool. During an earlier council discussion, Lindstrom said the system had assisted in more than 100 arrests involving cases such as domestic violence, burglaries, stolen vehicles, firearms, narcotics, stalking and hit-and-run crashes.
Lindstrom said officers have individual login credentials and use of the system is audited monthly. He also said South Windsor opted out of Flock's national network and limits its data sharing to police departments in Connecticut.
The local debate comes as Connecticut places tighter controls on automated license plate readers. A new state law taking effect Oct. 1 requires departments to file annual reports covering searches, scans, data sharing and instances in which information was kept beyond the normal retention period.
The state Police Officer Standards and Training Council has also considered a statewide policy that would require searches to be connected to an incident or case number and would prohibit officers from treating a camera alert alone as sufficient grounds for enforcement action.
State figures released in September showed that 78 percent of Connecticut police departments use fixed license plate readers, with 1,564 devices deployed statewide. Flock was the most widely used vendor.
Residents may address the South Windsor council during Monday's hearing before members determine what comes next for the town's eight cameras.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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