Still fighting about the Flock cameras, huh

It's been a month since council voted 7-0 to ban the city from buying or using license plate readers, and my feed is still just people yelling at each other about it. So let me ask the question I actually don't have a good answer to.

If the cameras people actually see around town are on private lots like the Lowe's parking lot, what did the ban change? Not a rhetorical question. I read the Flyer's writeup and it's about the city buying and using them. It doesn't sound like it touches what a business puts up on its own pole. Maybe I'm missing something.

To the folks who think this makes us a paradise for car thieves: seven out of seven council members voted for it, so it wasn't some sneaky 4-3 thing. And to the folks celebrating like the surveillance state is over: go look at who owns the camera on the pole before you start the victory lap.

I have trail cams all over my deer lease and I'm not pretending that's the same thing. But I do know a camera only tells you what happened. It doesn't stop anything by itself.

Anyway, did either side actually go to the council meeting, or are we all just arguing from the couch? Because I'd like to hear from someone who was there.

nope didnt go, had the kids that night. but I think your right its mostly symbolic.. the only cameras I ever notice are on private lots like lowes. so nothing really changed on that front. fine with the city not buying them i guess, just dont think it fixes anything either way

Same, didn't go either. Lowe's isn't pulling their camera over a council vote. What I'd actually like to know is whether APD can still ask a business for the footage. That's the part that matters, and nobody arguing about it seems to know.

Seven for seven and you all still found something to fight about. Cameras on the pole at Lowe's don't ask the council's permission. Half this argument is people who read the headline.

ok but "it only covers what the city buys" IS the point?? the city was about to hand every plate scan to a company that isn't even from here. i'd rather they didn't. lowe's being lowe's is a separate fight and honestly one i'd like to have too 🙄

Nobody said the vote was wrong, Natalie. I said it's mostly symbolic. Those aren't the same insult. If APD can't ask a business for its footage, that's a bigger deal than anything the council did.

Somebody broke into a car three streets over from me last month... and the doorbell cam caught more than any plate reader ever would have. I'm not crying over the ban, but I'm not throwing a parade either. Anybody telling you it makes us safer, or that it makes us a surveillance state, is selling something... and for the record half of you didn't go to the meeting, me included.

Timothy, "half of you didn't go" is a lot of confidence from somebody who also stayed home. I went to one council meeting this year, it ran four hours, and the cameras were item six. We are not a town of watchdogs, we're a town of people with strong opinions at 9pm on a Wednesday.

I'll take that as the answer to my question: nobody here went. Fine. Travis asked the one useful thing, whether APD can still ask a business for the footage, so I'm emailing the city clerk and I'll post whatever comes back. Since apparently somebody has to.