The city of Monroe, North Carolina, has a contract with Flock Safety, a  surveillance tech company that sells automated license plate readers (ALPRS) and accompanying surveillance software. While the cameras are to ostensibly enhance public safety, there are several concerns among residents regarding privacy, data security, and potential misuse of surveillance technologies.

Flock cameras violate our 4th amendment right to privacy. These systems have the capacity to continuously track the movement of vehicles and individuals, collecting vast amounts of data that could be and has been misused without strict, transparent oversight. The potential for this data to be mishandled or accessed without authorization infringes on all of our right to privacy.

The technology has proven unreliable with several cases of technical errors misreading license plates. This has resulted in innocent people experiencing violent arrests & harassment by the state relying on the faulty technology. Several legal settlements, funded by taxpayer money, have been paid out to victims of such false identification.

In addition, the cost of maintaining such surveillance systems must be justified with clear evidence of their effectiveness in reducing crime rates. Monroe Police Department is asking for an $8 million dollar expansion of their Flock contract for 150 government-owned cameras next year. Technologies like these have not resulted in the anticipated decrease in crime where they've been implemented, indicating such an expansion would be a largely ineffective waste of Monroe's financial resources.

We demand that Monroe city council not only refuse the planned expansion but terminate altogether the contract with Flock Safety and all any other similar tech surveillance company. We ask they instead use that funding to expand proven community initiatives like youth programs or sidewalk/streetlight expansions that have shown to benefit public safety.   These alternatives can create safer communities without compromising the privacy and rights of citizens.

By signing this petition, you are voicing your concern for privacy, advocating for responsible use of technology, and urging the Monroe city council to prioritize the safety and rights of its citizens over invasive surveillance measures. We call upon the council to re-evaluate this decision and take immediate action to cancel the Flock contract.