The Town of Hillsborough has cancelled a contract with the company Flock Safety for 10 license plate reader cameras around the community, it said in a release Tuesday. The announcement comes after the town’s Board of Commissioners held a closed session Monday night to discuss “data privacy concerns” related to the cameras.

Earlier in the year, the town had entered into a two-year contract worth approximately $81,500 (accounting for installation and maintenance costs) with Flock Safety for cameras which take still images of a vehicle’s “distinguishing features,” including the license plate. The Hillsborough Police Department said it aimed to use the cameras for investigations related to missing persons and other cases.

Installation of the cameras around town began earlier in October, with five having been completed by the time the Board met Monday night. The five installed cameras will now be removed following the cancellation of the contract Tuesday. The town said that upon a “closer review” of the contract with Flock Safety, town leaders became concerned about certain language which could allow the company to disclose data to “any government entity or third party” if it felt the need to do so.

Hillsborough mayor Mark Bell and police chief Jason Winn released a joint statement about the contract’s cancellation, saying it was “in the best interests of our community to stop the installation and use” of the cameras.

“As we went through the installation process, we began learning more about the system, the company, and issues noted throughout the country, particularly concerns about data security,” the statement read. “Our job is to keep our community safe, and their privacy rights are of utmost concern… While this technology would provide benefits for police and community safety, we also have to weigh the potential negative impacts that the program may present to the community as a whole. We will look for new and other innovative programs and applications for our police department to continue our commitment to keeping Hillsborough a safe and prosperous community.”

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, October 28, for his weekly Conversations With the Mayors radio interview to discuss these events.  You can listen to that full conversation here. 

 

Featured image via Chapel Hill Media Group/Brighton McConnell

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