Brookins calls for pausing Roanoke's Flock system pending review
Candidate for the Democratic nomination for Roanoke City Council
“I believe the City should pause the implementation of the Flock system until additional due diligence is completed. Public safety is one of government’s most important responsibilities, but so is protecting the privacy and rights of our residents. We need to ensure we are striking the right balance. During this pause, I would ask Flock to present alternative hardware options that focus solely on detecting gunshots and tracking their location without incorporating cameras or audio capabilities that could create privacy concerns. Even if the company states certain features will not be activated, I believe residents deserve technology that simply does not possess those surveillance capabilities in the first place.”
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
WDBJ7 report on where Roanoke City Council candidates stood on the city's Flock license-plate cameras and gunshot detectors, with the candidates' full written statements.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
WDBJ7 asked Roanoke City Council candidates where they stood on the city's use of Flock license-plate cameras and gunshot detectors after the city said 30 gunshot sensors had been installed at the wrong locations.
After the quotation
In the same statement, Brookins said he was not certain the city could end its Flock contract without significant cost and favored exploring alternatives within the existing agreement.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Brookins calls for pausing the city's Flock system until more due diligence is done and asks for hardware without cameras or audio. A pause pending review and a request for less invasive technology is conditional, so Mixed or conditional fits.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Flock Safety
Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“Ohioans should not have their movements routinely tracked, photographed, and stored simply for driving on public roads.”Read statement
“Tennesseans should be free from a surveillance state.”Read statement
“We need to restore real limits, real oversight, and real due process.”Read statement