The University of Minnesota says it will remove a Flock Safety license plate reader camera associated with the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood after community members raised alarms about surveillance and privacy.
The university's decision follows concerns about the camera, according to Axios.
The university, meanwhile, operates automated license plate reader cameras.
University Says the Camera Removal Preserves Trust and Safety
The university agreed to remove the camera, the article notes. The University of Minnesota has cited automated license plate reader devices as tools that can help law enforcement respond to incidents, recover stolen vehicles, locate missing persons, and identify suspects in violent crimes.
The article discusses automated license plate reader use, immigration enforcement, and data access.
Cedar-Riverside's History Shapes the Reaction
The MinneapoliMedia article covers the camera and the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
The issue has state-level roots. An ACLU of Minnesota investigation revealed that federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies were executing nearly 300,000 monthly searches against local Minnesota license plate databases, including queries tied to civil immigration enforcement. The broader issue involves concerns about ICE access and immigrant communities.
Minneapolis Council Members Prepare a Resolution
The Axios report also discusses local debate over Flock contracts. State lawmakers have also planned legislation on Flock cameras when the Minnesota Legislature returns.
State lawmakers have proposed legislation to tighten oversight of automated license plate readers, including measures addressing out-of-state data transfers and the handling of plate data, as Hoodline previously reported. Those proposals have made city councils, county boards, and university administrators venues where camera fights are playing out.
Part of a Wider Twin Cities Revolt
The St. Paul City Council passed a resolution on Aug. 26 calling for an end to Flock Safety contracts in that city, prompting Mayor Kaohly Her and the police chief to announce interim removal of St. Paul's cameras.
The West Bank removal fits a broader pattern across the region. Crystal removed all six of its Flock cameras. Other Minnesota cities have also debated Flock cameras. A proposed bill would cap retention of certain new scans at 60 days.
In late June, an incorrectly entered plate caused a wrongful stop, a case Hoodline detailed in its report on the incident. That episode, along with broader questions about how the technology is used, has fed public skepticism even as vendors like Flock Safety adjust their data-retention settings in response to controversy nationwide.
