End flock cameras in Blackford County

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The Issue

It was a regular day in Blackford County, Indiana, when I found myself unfairly facing a traffic ticket based on a flawed assumption. An officer claimed to have seen me on the flock camera driving 46 mph in a 45 mph zone and alleged that I continued this speed into a 35 mph zone. However, this was not the case, yet I was still penalized without concrete evidence of my supposed infraction.

Many residents of Blackford County have reported similar experiences, where assumptions are made solely based on a brief observation through a flock camera, often leading to wrongful accusations and unwarranted tickets. This not only undermines our trust in local law enforcement but also questions the reliability of the technology being used.

The issue revolves around the misuse of flock cameras, which are designed to ensure safety and compliance but not to wrongfully accuse innocent citizens. According to a report from the National Motorists Association, cameras have been known to cause false readings, contributing to about 20% of unwarranted traffic citations. Our community needs to address this growing concern before more residents fall victim to this flawed system.

Our goal is to prevent the unnecessary burden of unwarranted tickets and to rebuild the trust between local authorities and the community. It is crucial for the wellbeing of Blackford County that these measures are implemented urgently.

Sign this petition to demand accountability and fairness in traffic enforcement. Let’s ensure that flock cameras are rid of. 

avatar of the starter
Grace MaxwellPetition Starter
Media inquiries

The Decision Makers

Cody Crouse
Cody Crouse
Chief of Police, Hartford City Police Department
Responded
“I appreciate any resident who takes the time to ask questions or raise concerns about technology being used by law enforcement. I do, however, want to clarify several important points contained in this petition. The Flock Safety license plate reader cameras used by the Hartford City Police Department are not speed cameras and do not have the capability to determine a vehicle's speed. They are not used to automatically issue traffic citations. When an officer receives a Flock alert, the officer does not receive the vehicle's speed because the Flock cameras used by our department do not measure speed (if they do that information is not provided to our Officers). An alert provides information identifying a vehicle associated with the alert, along with information such as the license plate, vehicle characteristics, location, and time of observation. The officer must then independently determine whether there is a lawful basis for any further action. I also believe it is important to distinguish the allegations made in this petition from the broader national discussion surrounding Flock and other ALPR systems. Much of that discussion has focused on concerns regarding officer-initiated searches of ALPR databases, the purposes for which those searches are conducted, data sharing, and the auditing of those searches. Those are legitimate subjects for public discussion and oversight. That is not what is alleged to have occurred here. Based upon the circumstances described in this petition, this was not an officer conducting a Flock database search to locate or track an individual. The petition instead describes an officer receiving a Flock alert and then attributes speed information to that alert that the system simply does not provide. The petition also references information attributed to the National Motorists Association regarding problems with traffic-enforcement cameras. That material concerns automated speed-enforcement and red-light-camera systems—technology designed to detect traffic violations and, in some jurisdictions, generate citations. That is fundamentally different technology being used for a fundamentally different purpose than the Flock ALPR cameras at issue here. Comparing concerns about the accuracy of automated speed or red-light enforcement cameras to a Flock license plate reader is an apples-to-oranges comparison. The Flock cameras used by our department do not measure a vehicle's speed, determine whether a vehicle has run a red light, or automatically issue a traffic citation. Therefore, a report addressing the accuracy or reliability of those automated traffic-enforcement systems does not establish that a Flock camera inaccurately measured someone's speed—the Flock camera never measured the speed in the first place. That distinction matters. The petition specifically states that this incident undermines trust in local law enforcement while simultaneously presenting the public with a materially inaccurate description of the technology and what actually occurred. Public trust works both ways. Law enforcement has an obligation to be transparent and truthful with the community, and public criticism of law enforcement should likewise be based upon accurate information. I would encourage anyone considering this petition to distinguish between legitimate concerns about ALPR technology and claims about capabilities the technology does not have. Residents should absolutely scrutinize the tools used by their government. Our department should be questioned about how we use this technology, why we use it, who has access to it, and what safeguards exist to prevent misuse. But those discussions are most productive when they begin with the facts. A Flock alert or search result is also not, by itself, a determination that someone has committed a crime. Officers remain responsible for verifying information and establishing the appropriate legal basis for any enforcement action they take. Our department has policies governing the use of ALPR technology, and system activity is subject to auditing and administrative oversight. I welcome questions from residents about how our ALPR system works, what information it collects, how that information may be used, and the safeguards our department has put in place. I respect the right of anyone to oppose the use of Flock cameras in Blackford County. However, asking the public to support removing a law-enforcement tool based upon a claim that the technology did something it is incapable of doing does not contribute to an informed public discussion. If we are going to debate whether these cameras should remain in our community, I believe our residents deserve for that debate to be based on what the technology actually does and how it is actually being used. Cody Crouse Chief of Police Hartford City Police Department [Note: The Change.org Civic Engagement Team reaches out to decision makers to let them know about petitions in their community and to help…”
Jim Heflin
Jim Heflin
Blackford County Sheriff
Casey Bell
Casey Bell
Gordon Cooper Tech Center Board - District 5

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Petition created on September 1, 2026