Marcy K. Busho

Do you support continuing to use Flock/ licence plate readers in the city? Why or why not? 

Owatonna’s Flock cameras have been operational since October 2025, and I think it is important to consider what we have learned from their use so far.

Flock essentially points officers toward relevant information by processing license plates at a scale officers cannot do manually and comparing them with law-enforcement databases and alerts. Officers still verify the information, investigate, and exercise judgment.

The question is whether this level of automated data collection is necessary. Flock initially suggested more than 20 locations, with eight ultimately selected, and individual camera effectiveness has not yet been evaluated. In one 30-day period, those cameras captured more than 150,000 unique vehicles.

Technology can improve efficiency, but efficiency alone does not equate to necessity.

I have confidence in local law enforcement and recognize that Flock has provided useful investigative leads. My position isn’t about cost or lack of trust. I would need more specific evidence of its necessity and effectiveness to support renewal.