License plate readers are popping up around northern Michigan.
These little roadside cameras, installed and monitored by the police, take tracking photos of passing vehicles.
They’re often referred to as “Flock” cameras, after the brand name of the most common manufacturer.
Antrim County currently has eight Flock cameras deployed, with three more planned for installation.
There are currently no Flock cameras in Leelanau, Benzie, and Kalkaska counties.
Now Forest Home Township, in Antrim County, will be deciding if it wants to allow the sheriff’s department to install Flock cameras on its roadways.
Antrim County Sheriff Kevin Hoch has been touting the benefits of Flock cameras at township and village meetings across the county, saying they’ve been helpful in catching criminals.
In an interview with IPR, Hoch cited a recent incident in which a man from Muskegon misrepresented himself online, met the victim here in Antrim County, drove her to a remote location and assaulted her.
“She gave us a partial last name that he gave her and a description of the vehicle,” Hoch said. “We went into Flock, put that in there, and got a hit. We didn’t have much to go on.”
He said without Flock the perpetrator would likely still be on the loose.
The cameras photograph the backs of cars as they drive by. Each photograph gets processed for metadata, and not just for the license plate number. The system also notes details such as bumper stickers, dents, and broken tail lights, together with the date and time of day. That information is stored in a database for 30 days, and only police can access it.
Some residents have mixed feelings about the cameras.
Jack Rankin works at a cafe in Eastport where one of the Flock cameras was installed in the parking lot.
“Personally, I don’t think it’s out there to harm anyone,” Rankin said. “Surveillance-wise, it’s a little invasion of privacy, but when you’re driving on the road you sort of give up those rights, so I don’t see anything wrong with the camera.”
Other residents are more skeptical. Edison Pike, 18, from Elk Rapids, said he likes the increased safety they provide, but he worries about data collection.
“I don’t like the network and the fact that everything’s being monitored in a Big Brother kind of way, like in 1984,” Pike said.
Local townships and villages hold the final say on whether the cameras can be installed in their jurisdictions, but any resident driving on major roads in Grand Traverse and Antrim Counties could have the back of their vehicle photographed.
The Forest Home Township will be discussing and possibly voting on whether to have Flock cameras in the township. The board meeting, happens at 7pm on Thursday, July 2, in the Forest Home Township Hall.
The public will be invited to comment.
