Columbia’s developing Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader system identifies and captures hundreds of thousands of vehicles in Columbia for the Columbia Police Department to review. As the police use it daily, it has failed to fulfill key transparency requirements enacted earlier this year. The Columbia City Council approved the installation and use of Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers and fixed camera sites in an October meeting last year, where many residents spoke in support and opposition of the cameras. “If we were to see suspected abuse, it would trigger an internal complaint and then that triggers the internal affairs process,” Police Chief Jill Schlude said at the 2024 meeting. While some violations of the transparency policy were reduced over time, the public still cannot access the locations of Flock automated license plate readers on the transparency portal, as required by the policy. Visit the link in our bio for more. Story | Nico Berlin & Lily D...