The Cleveland City Council has postponed a discussion regarding the extension of a contract with Flock Safety for the use of license plate readers. This decision comes as local activists voiced their concerns over the potential privacy implications of the technology.

Community Concerns

Activists from groups like Flock No CLE attended a recent council committee hearing to express their opposition to the license plate readers, which capture images of vehicles and store them in searchable databases. These databases can be accessed by various law enforcement agencies, raising concerns about privacy and potential misuse.

Rebecca Garcia from Avanzamos Unidos highlighted the issue of immigration-related searches, noting that law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have conducted thousands of searches for immigration purposes. However, city officials clarified that recent records showing such searches were due to a technical mix-up involving a new drone program, not actual data sharing.

City’s Position

Mayor Justin Bibb has indicated that the administration will seek council approval through legislation rather than renewing the contract via the Board of Control. The council plans to introduce this legislation on June 1, with a special committee meeting scheduled for mid-June to hear from Public Safety Director Wayne Drummond.

Bibb emphasized the importance of the technology for investigations into violent crime, vehicle theft, and missing persons. He warned that losing access to the technology could create enforcement blind spots and complicate police recruitment efforts.

Next Steps

Council Member Mike Polensek, chair of the Safety Committee, stated that the council will review the arguments presented by Drummond before making a decision. The debate over the use of license plate readers in Cleveland highlights the ongoing tension between public safety and privacy concerns.

Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.