NEENAH (NBC 26) — Twelve Flock cameras monitor Neenah streets and while police say the technology is a valuable tool, residents are raising concerns.
In recent months, Appleton, Oshkosh and Grand Chute all cut ties with Flock cameras.
Last week at a Safety Commission meeting in Neenah, neighbors gathered to ask their city to do the same.
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The cameras are used across the country — including many northeast Wisconsin neighborhoods — reading license plates of cars as they drive by.
Todd Lynwood, a Neenah resident who attended the meeting, said he is concerned about the broader implications of the technology.
"I'm speaking up for the people who don't want to be surveilled everywhere that they go," Lynwood said.
When asked what he would like to see happen, Lynwood was direct.
"I want the cameras removed and not replaced," Lynwood said.
Jordan Loeck, another Neenah resident, said the meeting marked a first for him.
"This was actually my first time going to a city council anything of any sort," Loeck said.
"I am against license plate readers in their totality," Loeck said. "I think they're eroding our Fourth Amendment rights."
Neenah Police Chief Aaron Olson has defended the use of the cameras, saying they have strong privacy safeguards and have led to several arrests at an affordable cost.
For some residents, that argument is not enough.
"I've had good experiences with Neenah P.D., I generally trust them, but no one is perfect and I think having that available to be misused is scary," Loeck said.
Neenah is under contract with Flock until 2028, but city leaders are reviewing options over the next several weeks.
Loeck said that even if the cameras remain, there should be clear rules governing their use.
"Although I'm against it, if it's an eventuality, there needs to be a framework that is very specific about what they're doing with this, how they're keeping it safe," Loeck said.
Residents will have two more chances to share their thoughts with Neenah city leaders. The next opportunity is a Safety Committee meeting on June 23.
