FERNDALE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Ferndale's police department is facing public scrutiny over its use of Flock Safety cameras as the city council prepares to vote on whether to continue the program.
Watch Jolie Sherman's video report:
The license plate readers, installed at entry points throughout Ferndale, are stirring up debate between effective policing and privacy rights.
"You can't see the occupant, you can't identify race. In most cases, you can't identify a gender. It's just a picture of your vehicle, and more specifically, a picture of the license plate," said Chief Dennis Emmi of the Ferndale Police Department.
The technology works by capturing images of license plates and vehicle backs, then alerting officers when a flagged vehicle is detected. Police provided footage showing how officers receive alerts on their computers with the plate information and location before making stops.
"There's more than 5,000 communities across the country using this technology and particularly this vendor," Emmi said.
The department credits the system with helping solve various crimes, including robberies, home invasions, and homicide, including a road-rage homicide that happened earlier this year.
WEB EXTRA: Chief Dennis Emmi of the Ferndale Police Department explains the FLOCK system
Public opinion on the cameras remains divided. Some residents express little concern about the surveillance.
"If you're truthful and honest about things, and you're not doing anything wrong, we don't care about those cameras at all whatsoever," said Christopher Mallette from Detroit.
Others worry about the implications of expanded surveillance.
"I think it's important that we not just become comfortable and become more groomed to normalized surveillance," said Libby Parton from Warren.
The cameras were installed as part of a 2.5-year pilot program in 2023, with 15 devices currently positioned at entry points along Woodward and Nine Mile. A new proposal would reduce that number to nine cameras.
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Ferndale resident Prasad Venugopal, part of the Ferndale Inclusion Network, is advocating against renewing the city's contract with Flock.
"I don't think we should be tracked this way, and that's why we're against it," Venugopal said. "We should not have to give up our constitutionally protected rights and liberties in exchange for solving these crimes."
The city council will vote on the program's future on Monday, November 24. Before then, officials are hosting community discussions to gather public input, with another in-person session scheduled for November 13 at 6:30 p.m. inside City Hall.
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