The Holyoke City Council sends two hot-button items to the Public Safety Committee during its Sept. 2 meeting.
Photo credit: Holyoke Media
HOLYOKE — With Flock cameras becoming more prevalent in Massachusetts and across the country, the Holyoke City Council will investigate the technology’s history and use in the city.
During the Sept. 2 City Council meeting, several councilors proposed an order that the City Council review the history, authorization and all aspects of the use of Flock cameras in Holyoke, as well as any other automated license plate technology that may be deployed or under consideration for deployment.
The order states that they would like to discuss its use and history to determine whether legislation is necessary to address any civil rights and privacy issues implicated by this technology and to enact such legislation should it prove necessary.
According to the order, the information needed for this review should include the city’s contract with Flock; information showing who authorized the installation and when and for what reasons; how much the contract costs the city and where it is in the budget; where the data from these license plate readers is or may be shared; for how long it is preserved; how it is safeguarded from abuse and access for improper purposes or by unauthorized persons; and whether Holyoke’s and Flock’s terms and practices are in compliance with Massachusetts law regarding the sharing of data, particularly with federal agencies.
The City Council approved sending the motion to the Public Safety Committee for further discussion. They also agreed to send a copy of the item to Mayor Joshua Garcia, Police Chief Brian Keenan and the Holyoke Law Department.
The Holyoke Police Department and the Law Department have been asked to provide all relevant data to the City Council to assist in this review.
City Councilor Patti Devine, who serves on the Public Safety Committee, said that after hearing from a constituent several weeks ago expressing their concerns with Flock cameras, she worked with the Holyoke Police Department and put together a packet of information that she will share with each councilor. She said she will also place it on the Public Safety Committee agenda.
City Councilor Anne Thalheimer, who chairs the Public Safety Committee and is one of the councilors who proposed the order, stated, “We look forward to a robust discussion in public safety on this.”
Thalheimer, as well as City Council President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti and City Councilor Mimi Panitch, proposed the order, but several City Councilors asked that their name also be added.
The Public Safety Committee is scheduled to meet on Monday, Sept. 21, at 6:30 p.m. The agenda is currently not available for that meeting.
The City Council also agreed to send another order to the Public Safety Committee that prohibits the use of Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter gloves.
According to the order, GLOVE is classified as a CD3, conductive distraction and de-escalation device, which works differently from other incapacitation devices, such as stun guns or tasers, by shocking the skin to cause neuro-peripheral disruption rather than using probe projectiles or higher-voltage neuromuscular disruption.
“In other words, it inflicts localized pain on subjects in order to enforce compliance rather than muscular disruption provided by other devices,” the order stated.
Thalheimer and Panitch proposed the order, but multiple city councilors asked that their names be added before it was sent to the Public Safety Committee. This technology is currently not implemented in Holyoke.
