Traffic surveillance cameras won’t be coming to Baraga County anytime soon.
At last night’s county board meeting, several citizens expressed concerns about the proposal to site the cameras along highways at the county line.
A company called Flock Safety had presented a proposal to the county board last month [see our story here]. The high definition cameras are used to read and record license plates of cars passing by. The information is shared with a nationwide network, and has been used to track down fugitives and resolve Amber alert situations.
Around 125 local governments in Michigan utilize the system, including several in the Upper Peninsula.
However, there are concerns about violations of privacy rights, and some lawsuits have been filed. Although Flock Safety says they guard the information tightly, and it’s not used for any other purposes, speakers wondered if those protections could be sustained against future camera operators, or governments that have access.
Commissioners noted similar concerns, as did Sheriff Joe Brogan…
There is no expectation of privacy for your license plate. That’s what the cameras are targeting, However, it’s been brought to my attention that there is a question about storage of that information.
There is also a significant annual cost involved.
Commissioners tabled the discussion, and said they would continue researching the topic.
Work to recover from the May 15th heavy rain and flooding continues. The state has declared Baraga County a disaster area, and local officials will meet with state officials next week to push that process forward. Commissioners also noted that Superior Watershed Partnership has a crew that is ready to come in and help with damage to ATV and snowmobile trails.
