South Windsor Deputy Mayor Andrew Paterna says the vote is about "a system that is becoming more and more invasive"
Andrew PaternaSouth Windsor deputy mayor
South Windsor Deputy Mayor Andrew Paterna said the move to remove the cameras is not about distrusting the town's police department but about a system that is becoming more and more invasive. CT Insider reported that most council members expressed support for the police department but said they were more concerned about mass surveillance.
“This is not about not trusting our police department, but it is about a system that is becoming more and more invasive”
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
CT Insider reported that, after a public hearing at which no member of the public spoke in favor of the cameras, most council members said they supported the police department but were more concerned about mass surveillance.
After the quotation
Paterna added that the most dangerous thing about Flock is not what it does today but that the country is building security infrastructure first and arguing about the rules afterwards.
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. Paterna says the decision is not about distrust of police but about a system that is becoming more and more invasive, which supports removal as right, so we labeled it Defended or excused. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, because he first rejects the idea that the vote reflects distrust of police; he goes on to defend removal on surveillance grounds, 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 Mayor Craig Zimmerman says the town cannot "control what happens with this data"
“We really can’t control what happens with this data”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
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- South Windsor Deputy Mayor Andrew Paterna says the vote is about "a system that is becoming more and more invasive"
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The Dispute Index. "South Windsor Deputy Mayor Andrew Paterna says the vote is about "a system that is becoming more and more invasive"". First published: 2026-10-11. Last updated: 2026-10-11. https://disputeindex.com/events/5458-south-windsor-deputy-mayor-andrew-paterna-said-the