Why Flock cameras were reinstalled in Grass Valley after police suspended their use

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. — Less than a month after Grass Valley suspended its use of Flock cameras and other fixed-point automated license plate readers, community members grew concerned when they saw the camera being reinstalled. While community concerns suggested the move was about putting the cameras back into use, officials said it was a technicality in the service contract with Flock Security. After the police department decided to suspend its use of license plate readers indefinitely, city officials removed the cameras. However, Flock said it is their responsibility to remove equipment once a contract is canceled. The company said that when the city removed the cameras, their 'automated maintenance system interpreted the cameras going offline as equipment failures and generated replacement work orders, which resulted in crews being dispatched. The city decided to end its contract with Flock following a comprehensive review of ALPRs and listening to community concerns. There is also a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the technology's usage and how it will be regulated by future legislation According to Grass Valley Police Chief Alexander Gammelgard, the technology has helped the department solve numerous cases, 'including over 100 stolen vehicle recoveries and arrests, hit-and-run suspect identifications, robbery suspect arrests, locating missing and at-risk individuals, and many other crimes that may have gone unsolved without the system.' In August, Gammelgard said the technology has evolved significantly in nearly five years, moving beyond basic license plate reading to include more powerful computer-intelligence tools. Expanded networks also allow access to data across jurisdictions. 'GVPD continually takes down anything reinstalled and monitors other locations, while the paperwork of our cancellation gets sorted out,' the department said in a statement. WATCH ALSO: Why California can't regulate Flock cameras after five failed efforts