Michigan City Police Department responds to Common Council's indefinite table of Flock expansion

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. -- The possible expansion of Flock camera technology was pulled by the Michigan City Common Council over privacy concerns.

After hearing from residents, the council members voted 5-4 Tuesday night to indefinitely table an ordinance to expand the police department's Flock camera system including the addition of a drone.

Michigan City's Assistant Police Chief Kyle Shiparski tells ABC57 that the decision by the council doesn't mean the city won't expand its Flock camera technology in the future.  

The department wants to continue educating the public about using this kind of technology to help keep the city safe, while also taking their concerns into consideration.

"The community doesn't want a drone to respond to their door, they want to see a police officer, and we are fully positioned and motivated to do so," Assistant Chief Shiparski explains. "It's just the realities of these technologies and how they help build better cases for law enforcement to get better outcomes for communities is undeniable."

The police department currently uses 60 point-in-time cameras.

They were asking the Common Council to approve a $300,000 expansion of that technology.

Police say the technology helps with investigations, safer and more efficient response, and officer strain.

Shiparski says the department uses the technology responsibly; data captured from cameras is deleted after 30 days and not shared with any other agencies or governments.

Even then, he says the department understands the public's concern.

"You saw the Michigan City Police Department take the approach of not really trying to argue against any Constitutional 4th Amendment opinions which is really the foundation I believe from my point of view anyways, of the public's thoughts against it," says Shiparski.

The $300,000 the police department was requesting for the expansion will remain in the city's rainy-day fund.