GREENFIELD — After the city’s Chief of Staff Erin Anhalt addressed the Public Safety Commission on Wednesday, announcing that the city’s four Flock Safety cameras will be removed as soon as possible, commission members expressed concerns that they were not informed of the decision.
Flock Safety is a video surveillance network that uses artificial intelligence to assist law enforcement agencies with investigations in a number of ways, such as license plate or facial recognition. Unable to continue funding the camera service and responding to the public’s concerns that they could violate residents’ privacy, as well as the possibility that data could get into the hands of federal agencies, such as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Greenfield Police announced last week that it would end the program.
Although Police Chief Todd Dodge originally said the department planned to remove the four cameras as their contracts with Flock Safety expire in May and October, he said Wednesday night that the cameras would likely be taken down in a matter of weeks after Anhalt voiced the mayor’s wish for the cameras’ urgent dismantling.
“We have complete confidence in our Police Department — they’ve never given us any reason to believe these cameras would be misused intentionally under any circumstances,” Anhalt said before the Public Safety Commission. “It’s in the city’s interest to protect the community by eliminating the potential for misuse, especially from outside actors. … The mayor has directed Chief Dodge to have these cameras removed as soon as possible. If they are not able to be removed before the end of the contract, which I believe they will be, they will be disabled by city employees as soon as possible.”
The city’s Flock Safety cameras — two of which Dodge said were installed roughly three years ago, while the other two were installed two years ago — have been of use to the city in the capture of Taaniel Herberger-Brown, who is accused of murdering a man in his Chapman Street apartment, as well as law enforcement’s ability to track the suspects in the theft of more than $100,000 from the Greenfield Savings Bank Money Tree ATM.
The city’s four cameras are located on Deerfield Street near the Cheapside Bridge, another on Route 5 near Denny’s Pantry, near the intersection of Solon and Elm streets, and on the French King Highway. Dodge said the first two camera installations were funded through grants, and the other two with law enforcement trust money.
While Public Safety Commission members generally agreed that the cameras have served as a strong law enforcement asset, some voiced their dismay that the city’s decision to halt use of the camera system never came before them for a vote.
“I wasn’t consulted, I had no idea that this was happening and we had no input, as far as I know, as a commission, as to whether these things would be taken offline or left. I have no idea how useful they are to the Police Department. I have no idea how intrusive or invasive they are because I have no idea who has used them and for what,” Public Safety Commission member Gary Braff said. “It looks like it’s a complete, closed system only for the police, so I don’t see any reason why somebody should fear these cameras, but, barring that, I just was not consulted as a commissioner and I feel left out of the conversation.”
Braff added that Mayor Ginny Desorgher did not give the commission “facts or input” on the Flock Safety cameras, nor ask for its opinion on the matter before making a decision.
Commission Vice Chair David Moscaritolo expressed a similar frustration that they were left out of discussions on removing the cameras. Dodge, describing the commission’s lack of information on the system as “an oversight on everybody’s part,” said he understood the Public Safety Commission’s frustrations.
The chief encouraged the commission to advocate for its position as the city body responsible for overseeing safety services.
“I can’t disagree, plain and simple. … I’m not going to sit here and point fingers as to who dropped the ball, but it is a public safety matter that should have been discussed with Public Safety,” Dodge said. “I advised the chair that it seemed reasonable he speak up, or that this committee speak up, if you want to validate yourself as that entity. The forefathers and mothers who drafted our charter said you were important. They said we need a Public Safety Commission to oversee all things public safety. … You should have been in on the conversation.”
Dodge also explained that even if the commission did have the opportunity to deliberate over the Flock Safety system, it likely would not have impacted the end result, as he said continuing the $12,000 per-year system, without the grant funds to back it, is not affordable and not a charge the city wishes to levy on the taxpayer.
Those who spoke Wednesday night did so in support of the city’s decision to ditch the cameras, such as resident Mike Lovett, who noted that ICE agents have been spotted in Maine and claimed the federal agency uses license plate databases to target and capture individuals.
“I want to thank the mayor for being so receptive to this. I do hope that ‘as soon as possible’ is that, because it feels like there is not a minute to waste here,” Lovett said in response to Anhalt’s remarks. “ICE is already in Portland, Maine, and they’re talking about adding license plate numbers to databases around domestic terrorism. … It is especially concerning when that’s the information they’re talking about and that’s the same exact information Flock purports to capture. … I’m receptive to Chief Dodge and all of those who are acting quickly.”
Responding to questions about privacy protections on Greenfield’s Flock Safety system, Dodge clarified that the city’s cameras do not feature any facial recognition software, adding that the Police Department opted not to automatically share data with federal agencies. He said he has not shared, and would not share, license plate data collected from the cameras with ICE.
The chief explained that while the Police Department does not “live and die,” by the Flock Safety cameras and will be able to conduct investigations with the same level of efficiency it did prior to their installation, officers enhanced their investigations and emergency responses significantly using the technology. He said in at least one incident, the system was used to find and apprehend a man who was attempting to take his own life.
“To me, and maybe some parent out there, I don’t care about the $12,000. A life is worth more than $12,000,” Moscaritolo said, adding that he understands the public’s concern with the cameras. “If I was a parent or if I was a partner with somebody and they had gone missing, and you had a tool that could be used to find that person and save their life, to me, it’s worth it.”