HADLEY — In one instance of using the Flock Safety camera, positioned on Route 9 at the Hadley Village Barn Shops near the Coolidge Bridge, Hadley Police used footage to recover a stolen vehicle and arrest two people.
Another time, a license plate photo provided to police allowed officers to locate almost $2,500 in stolen merchandise inside a stolen vehicle, leading to a suspect’s arrest.
Because the Flock camera has helped the department solve crimes, as well as to locate missing and suicidal people, Police Chief Michael Mason is recommending to the Select Board that the town not abandon its use, even as 25 Massachusetts communities, including Boston, have canceled their contracts with Flock Safety and concerns are being raised by residents about the AI-powered cameras.
“We do believe this is necessary,” Mason told the board at Wednesday’s meeting, adding that he understands the fears about inappropriate surveillance. “We believe this helps law enforcement do their jobs.”
Joined by Lt. Mitchell Kuc, Mason responded to a series of questions from the Select Board seeking more information, two weeks after public comment brought forward by Patrick Dragon of Stockwell Road.
Dragon said many residents have a “slew” of concerns over Hadley having the automated license plate reader. One of those is the possibility of illicit use.
“There have been numerous cases of abuse by law enforcement officers in abusing access to these systems to stalk various people,” Dragon said.
He said there are also worries about personal freedoms and privacy and the fact that the public didn’t consent to police installing the Flock camera in town.
“My concern is not only with the issue of consent, but whether or not such a thing is legitimately necessary,” Dragon said.
The Flock camera erodes public trust in the Police Department, it should be disabled and the town should end its contract, Dragon said.
Mason said his rationale for deploying the device came after an October 2022 hit-and-run by the driver of a van that seriously injured a Hopkins Academy student crossing Route 9. After thousands of hours of investigation the department has been unable to locate the vehicle that struck the teenage boy.
The Flock camera, Mason said, is ultimately a license plate reader, a technology that has been used since the late 1990s.
“I decided that if there was technology which could aid us, that could help us solve crimes, we were going to try them,” Mason said.
No one is watching it as a live camera, it is not looking for citations or speeding, or able to do facial recognition. “It’s not a live camera feed, we’re not watching people,” Mason said.
All activity on the cameras, such as license plates, vehicle type, the time and the road, is logged, but settings are to delete everything recorded within 30 days.
Already, the department has a mobile data terminal in each cruiser and can run license plates in a similar way, with officers able to get more information about drivers.
Mason said Hadley Police has a strict use policy that is in compliance with ACLU best practices for this technology, recording, logging and auditing all uses and disabling access to any departments outside Massachusetts. The department also does not share information with immigration enforcement and is in full compliance with the Massachusetts SHIELD law, prohibiting inquiries related to reproductive healthcare.
A 30-day audit shows the system was used over 200 times, almost 30% for thefts, 15% for welfare checks, 11% for drug investigations, 10% for burglary investigations and 8% for hit-and-runs. Each inquiry is attached to a task and call number.
Mason said this is effective for the community he serves, and he would not use something like this if it was being used inappopriately.
He called it “extraordinarily helpful” saying, “It’s not just for crime, it’s to be better in every way.”
The Flock camera’s use is audited by a town employee, to ensure the department is using searches properly and legitimately.
Previously, the Gazette reported the Hadley camera had more than 20,000 searches made by in-state departments in June.
Kuc said while other security footage and cameras elsewhere are in use, it can be time-consuming to get video surveillance from big box stores and other businesses.
“The benefit to us having this camera is that we can access it in the moment we need it,” Kuc said.
Select Board member David J. Fill II asked about the process for others to use, such as if Amherst Police is looking for a suspect.
When other departments locally log in, this is recorded with Hadley Police, and separate log entries are made in both communities, Kuc said.
Chairwoman Amy Parsons suggested that there may be other cameras throughout Hadley, not affiliated with Flock Safety, that are recording people and vehicles, just as there are on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Mason said the effectiveness he’s seen would suggest that more Flock cameras go up in strategic locations around town, rather than removing the only one. He said if someone robs a bank the suspect could take a different road out of town with less consequence because the only camera’s on Route 9.
“I do believe these are valuable enough that we should not be considering getting rid of the one camera we have, but I think we should be considering adding,” Mason said.
