Flock Safety, a manufacturer and operator of various types of surveillance systems, has been used across the country as a way to help identify stolen vehicles and missing people. However, concerns around privacy, aesthetics, and the number and location of the cameras prompted a group to discuss their use and benefits in Carmel.
With the contract with Flock set to renew in March, the main questions an ad hoc committee aims to answer before the next Carmel City Council meeting are: How many cameras are needed, and where should they be placed?
The committee will host its final meeting to address questions and concerns surrounding the use of Flock cameras in the one-square-mile city on Oct. 24.
“We are a target here. We have high-end shops, we’re in an affluent community,” said Carmel Police Chief Paul Tomasi during a meeting in June. “These cameras are a tool for us. It makes our jobs a little bit easier to keep you safe.”
In 2018, the Carmel City Council authorized the installation of six license plate reader cameras at the city’s entrances and exits. In April 2023, community members raised concerns about the approval of a two-year contract with Flock Safety to install an additional 24 cameras and new software systems, ultimately halting the program’s implementation.
Residents were particularly concerned about the number of proposed cameras, which would exceed those in larger nearby communities like Pacific Grove (with 12 cameras), and Hollister, with 15 cameras and a population of 42,000.
Others believe the additional cameras could strengthen the regional defense system, ease the monitoring burden on local police, and send a message to thieves that they won’t get away with stealing.
The upcoming meeting will be held both virtually and in person at Carmel City Hall at 1pm on Thursday, Oct. 24.
“We’d like to come back to you with answers, and then we want to propose a plan moving forward,” Tomasi said. “What do we want to do?”
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