Marshall County Commissioners are planning a dedicated evening meeting to discuss the future of the county’s Flock Safety contract following continued public debate over the license plate reader system.
During the Sept. 21 commissioners meeting, several residents spoke both for and against the cameras before commissioners later returned to the issue during commissioner comments.
Commissioner Jesse Bohannon pointed to other Indiana communities that have recently taken action involving Flock.
“Starke County Sheriff canceled his contract a couple weeks ago. Noble County did the same thing… Fort Wayne voted unanimously to end the Flock program, and then… the Kosciusko County Council voted unanimously to defund the program,” Bohannon said.
Bohannon said he hoped Marshall County would follow what happened in Kosciusko County, where he said the sheriff and prosecutor acknowledged opposition to the system and cooperated with efforts to remove it.
He then made a motion to immediately terminate Marshall County’s Flock contract.
The board did not vote on Bohannon’s motion.
Instead, commissioners discussed placing the issue on a dedicated agenda so the public would have advance notice and an opportunity to speak before a decision is made.
Commissioners discussed holding the meeting Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m., pending confirmation of room availability and the auditor’s schedule.
The board also discussed allowing the current and incoming sheriff and prosecutor additional time to speak if they choose to participate.
During public comment earlier in the meeting, some residents supported keeping the cameras and pointed to their use in locating missing people and assisting law enforcement.
Other residents urged commissioners to end the program, citing concerns about surveillance and privacy.
Commissioners ultimately agreed to move the discussion to a separate evening meeting, where the future of the county’s Flock contract is expected to be the focus.