Residents are criticizing Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise after he signed a one-year deal with the surveillance company Flock, priced just below the threshold that would have triggered a vote by the county board, as Sahan Journal reported.
The move comes as Minnesota communities continue to distance themselves from Flock camera technology due to privacy concerns, vandalism, and growing public skepticism.
Here's what to know
Wise executed the June 30 agreement for $174,500, per the paper. It calls for 75 license plate readers and 10 drones, and sheriff's spokesperson Tierney Peters said the county has not yet decided where any cameras would go.
Sahan Journal reported Wise floated a two-year Flock plan costing $245,000, but it never went before the Anoka County Board of Commissioners for a formal vote. Because county review is required only for contracts above $175,000, critics question the contract.
"He specifically went back to Flock to shrink the length of time from two years to one, and to get it just below the $175,000," Fridley resident Aaron Klemz suggested to the paper.
In a July 8 Facebook post, Anoka County Commissioner Mandy Meisner said she opposed the way the agreement was approved.
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"As a County Commissioner, I was neither invited to provide input nor informed of this contract until after it had already been signed," Meisner wrote.
The Atlanta-based company says it partners with more than 7,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide. Its tools rely on artificial intelligence to log and follow vehicles using license plate numbers along with time and location information.
More background
Criticism of Flock has intensified after reports that officers in other places used camera data to follow people, Sahan Journal reported. Some Minnesotans also worry that data gathered locally could be used in federal immigration enforcement.
Locals haven't taken kindly to the cameras' presence, the paper noted. In Winona, all eight Flock cameras were reported stolen on Aug. 1. In Edina, three cameras were spray-painted on Aug. 5. Cameras have also been damaged or stolen in Prior Lake, Plymouth, and Duluth.
"The fact that people around the country are revolting against Flock cameras is an indication of how dangerous these things are," resident Taher Herzallah commented to Sahan Journal.
What's being done?
The pilot program is being met with skepticism by officials in Anoka County.
"I'm sort of trying to learn about it and weigh the benefits of it versus any costs, whether they're financial costs or societal costs," Anoka City Council Member Erik Skogquist told Sahan Journal.
Peters said cities in the county may opt out of the sheriff's pilot program, meaning cameras and drones would not be used in those jurisdictions, according to the paper.
Anoka County Commissioner Mike Gamache also indicated to Sahan Journal that any future extension would require a return for additional discussion if more funding is needed beyond the one-year pilot.
Considering the groundswell against Flock at the moment, it could be challenging to sneak another deal past residents and the board in the future.
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