Online Poll: What Should The Wyoming Legislature Do About Flock Cameras?

Rep. Daniel Singh [R-Laramie County] recently said the legislature's Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology is working on a bill on Automatic License Plate Readers [ALPRs].

The devices are often referred to generically as ''Flock Cameras," although similar devices are made by Motorola and several other companies. For the sake of simplicity, we will use the term Flock cameras, since that is how they are typically known.

So what would you like the legislature to do?

Option A: Ban Them

Florida this week took the step of banning the cameras from state highways. While that isn't a total ban on the devices, it's a step in that direction.

Should Wyoming do away with them altogether?

Many people feel the cameras violate the Fourth Amendment.

While Rep. Singh did not explicitly call for a ban, he posted a statement on Facebook expressing the concerns of many when he wrote:

Option B: Regulate Them

Many in Wyoming law enforcement argue the cameras are a valuable tool in solving crimes. They also say the cameras aren't being used to violate privacy. For exmaple, the Cheyenne Police Department transparency portal dealing with the cameras includes the following:

"Cheyenne WY PD uses Flock Safety technology to capture objective evidence without compromising on individual privacy. Cheyenne WY PD utilizes retroactive search to solve crimes after they've occurred. Additionally, Cheyenne WY PD utilizes real time alerting of hotlist vehicles to capture wanted criminals."

There is also the argument that the cameras are no more an invasion of privacy than a police officer running a license plate. There is no legal 'expectation of privacy' when you are in your car on public streets and highways.

So maybe what the legislature needs to do is write a bill clearly spelling out exactly how the cameras can be used while protecting privacy. That way, police can still use the cameras to solve crimes without the devices being abused or violating privacy rights

Option C: Don't Do Anything

Is this a solution in search of a problem?

After all, there have been reports of abuses of the cameras in other states. But so far we haven't had those in Wyoming.

And they have been used to solve crimes. In one recent case, police say a Cheyenne man wanted on sex abuse charges was arrested in Fort Collins using Flock camera evidence. Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco, in January, told us, "The cameras read license plates. They do not take photos of the driver or any passengers in the car. He also said the data is only accessed as part of an investigation, and random drivers are not tracked nor is their privacy violated."

So what's the problem? It's not like these cameras are mounted in people's homes. Besides, if you go anywhere in public these days, there is a good chance you are on camera. Stores, parking lots, just about anywhere. So why are people suddenly worked up about Flock cameras on public streets?

If you really "back the blue"--support the police--let's give them the tools they need to keep us all safe instead of tying their hands.

So how do you want the legislature to handle this issue/ Take our poll and give us your opinion!