End mass vehicle surveillance in Joplin
Joplin must end its contract with Flock Safety, remove city-operated automated license-plate-reader cameras, and prohibit their expansion.
No one should have their daily movements photographed, logged, stored, and searched simply for driving to work, school, a doctor’s appointment, church, a protest, a friend’s home, or the grocery store.
Joplin has already seen why “trust us” is not enough. The Police Department disclosed a possible misuse of its Flock license-plate-reader system, conducted an internal investigation, and referred the matter to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. An employee involved was no longer employed by JPD. The appropriate response is not to buy more cameras or promise better internal audits after the fact. It is to end a surveillance system that makes abuse possible in the first place. Joplin Police statement
We demand that the Joplin City Council:
- Terminate and do not renew contracts with Flock Safety.
- Remove city-owned or city-operated automated license-plate-reader cameras.
- Reject new grants, purchases, leases, or expansions of automated license-plate-reader technology.
- Prohibit city surveillance data from being shared with ICE, CBP, federal immigration enforcement, out-of-state abortion investigations, anti-LGBTQ+ investigations, or agencies targeting peaceful protest or organizing.
- Require a public hearing and a Council vote before any new surveillance technology is acquired.
Public safety does not require treating every driver as a potential suspect.