South Windsor Mayor Craig Zimmerman says the town cannot "control what happens with this data"
Craig ZimmermanSouth Windsor mayor
South Windsor Mayor Craig Zimmerman told CT Insider that he was initially supportive of the license plate reader program but voted to remove the cameras after many meetings with officials in and out of town. He said there are benefits to law enforcement but also privacy concerns, and that the town cannot control what happens with the data.
“We really can’t control what happens with this data”
Original text
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was South Windsor right to remove its Flock cameras?
South Windsor's council voted 6-3 on October 5, 2026 to end its Flock camera program. Mayor Craig Zimmerman backed removal after losing confidence in safeguards for the data. Police Chief Kristian Lindstrom argued that the cameras helped investigations. The dispute is whether privacy risks justified abandoning the system rather than keeping it under tighter rules.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
The town's signed minutes summarize public testimony. They are not a verbatim transcript or the council's final roll-call record.
Reporting
About this source
Reports the October 5 council vote and quotes officials explaining their votes.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Police confirm contract termination and deactivation. The report also includes Flock's response through Courtney Terlecki.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
According to the hearing minutes, Mayor Craig Zimmerman called the South Windsor Town Council's public hearing on removing Flock cameras to order on October 5, 2026. CT Insider reported that Zimmerman said he was initially supportive of the program and that the council voted 6-3 to remove the technology.
After the quotation
He added that the language in the town's contract with Flock did not give him confidence, particularly on holding Flock accountable if data were improperly shared.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether South Windsor was right to remove its Flock cameras, so support for the removal counts as Defended or excused. Zimmerman says he voted for removal because the town cannot control what happens with the data, while acknowledging benefits to law enforcement, which supports removal as right, so we labeled it Defended or excused. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because he credits the program's law-enforcement benefits; he voted to remove the cameras anyway, so it loses.
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More from this case
Read the full caseFlock spokeswoman Courtney Terlecki says license plate readers have made an impact on solving crimes and that Flock respects South Windsor's and other communities' authority to decide
Flock Safety
“We know that (license plate readers) have made a real impact on Connecticut agencies’ ability to solve crimes, especially involving violent crime, missing people, or fleeing suspects ... We respect Connecticut communities’ authority to make decisions about public safety technology, and we will continue listening to the community, answering questions, and working with lawmakers”Read statement
South Windsor Deputy Mayor Andrew Paterna says the vote is about "a system that is becoming more and more invasive"
“This is not about not trusting our police department, but it is about a system that is becoming more and more invasive”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- South Windsor Mayor Craig Zimmerman says the town cannot "control what happens with this data"
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/5457-south-windsor-mayor-craig-zimmerman-told-ct-insider
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "South Windsor Mayor Craig Zimmerman says the town cannot "control what happens with this data"". First published: 2026-10-11. Last updated: 2026-10-11. https://disputeindex.com/events/5457-south-windsor-mayor-craig-zimmerman-told-ct-insider