MARSHALL County, Ind. -- Community members of Marshall County got the opportunity to discuss the need for Flock cameras during a special meeting.
During the meeting there were those who were for and those who were against Flock cameras.
Those who were for Flock made points about benefits and the times when law enforcement was able to use Flock as a tool to locate anyone who's missing.
Residents who were opposed to the use of Flock cameras made points that it violates privacy and not wanting a government mass surveillance.
"You know, I think everybody here supports law enforcement, and we want to make sure they have the tools that they need to do their job. It's just a disagreement about whether or not this particular tool violates people's rights, and obviously a lot of people have concerns about that," said Jesse Bohannon, the Marshall County Commissioner.
Bohannon said tonight's meeting could've been the last one since commissioners had the opportunity to cancel the contract but that this pause will lead to more research, "I think Commissioner Falstitch wanted to give our new sheriff and our new prosecutor an opportunity to put some processes in place and present those once they've come into office in January, and so that just gives us a period of time where the public can get some sort of sense that they're not being actively tracked by at least the six cameras that the county controls, and then also to see what is the legislation going to look like that's going to come out of Indianapolis during this next legislative session."
The final decision on the night was a 2-1 vote to bag the Flock cameras to prevent it from operating under the contract.
"We're gonna put the bags over them like you've seen in a lot of other jurisdictions that as they're waiting to figure out you know how to move forward with the process you put the black plastic bags on it stops the surveillance, and then you know gives us some more time to figure it out." Said Bohannon.
For now, the cameras will be bagged up, and they'll have to wait for a final decision from the sheriff and prosecutor's office at the beginning of 2027.
"I don't see any way around it. I think they're going to come down on January 1, but to be determined," said Bohannon