3779608

Mayor Fred B. Allyn III said he made the decision alongside the Ledyard Police Department to 'terminate the relationship' with Flock.

Ledyard officials have decided to remove Flock cameras in town after what they're calling a recent "security incident," according to Mayor Fred B. Allyn III.

In a letter to the Ledyard Town Council on Friday, Ledyard Chief of Police Ken Creutz said that afternoon, Flock informed him of a security incident that happened the day before.

Stream Connecticut News for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

Creutz said, according to the notice he received, a malicious actor published a website with customer device information, including device names, location and device types.

"The information I learned today raises serious concerns privacy, security and transparency. Public safety tools must be worthy of the public's trust, and we must be able to give residents clear, reliable answers how those tools operate and who can access the information they collect," Creutz said in his letter.

According to Creutz, he has discussed the developments with Allyn and is now recommending that "the town cease using Flock cameras in Ledyard." Allyn issued the following statement on Tuesday morning:

"On Friday, September 18th, the Ledyard PD made the decision, in conjunction with my office to terminate the relationship with Flock ALPR camera systems after receiving disturbing information. In Friday mornings report, we learned that a serious breach was discovered where someone hacked Flock Systems, then created a website providing open access to a wide number of Flock cameras, not necessarily in Ledyard, but throughout the state and country as a whole. Effective community policing is built on trust and to that end, we must have great trust in our vendors. If that trust lacks, we must end the vendor relationship.

Ledyard had a total of four Flock ALPR’s, not a matrix of cameras as some municipalities have. The ALPR cameras did assist in solving crimes, a hit a run being the most recent several weeks ago. Despite that positive outcome, without securing both the trust of the public and the vendor, we must abandon the use of Flock."

Manchester man accused of impersonating police officer on I-91 in Hartford

Two women accused stealing more than $600,000 from Connecticut Medicaid program

Gary St. Vil, chairperson of the Ledyard Town Council, also issued a statement on Tuesday morning:

"Ledyard residents asked a fundamental question: “How do we keep our community safe without making people feel that every trip through town is being watched and recorded?"

We owe them more than assurances from the company selling the technology.

The Council called for Flock data collection and sharing to stop out of caution. Chief Creutz then independently examined the concerns residents raised and identified serious questions privacy, security, and transparency. He recommended that Ledyard cease using Flock cameras. The cameras are now covered, and data collection has stopped.

Flock’s technology may help solve crimes. But its ability to collect and information people’s movements carries a cost that must be understood and justified. As more came to light, we could not be confident that we had a full enough picture of its reach or the safeguards protecting our residents. A public safety benefit does not give any company a blank check on the public’s privacy.

This is bigger than Ledyard or Flock. Transformative technology will keep coming before local governments. Our job is to test a company’s claims, not just repeat them. And some of the most important questions will come from the people who have to live with the consequences. In Ledyard, residents asked those questions. We listened, our Chief did the work, and we changed course."