PHOENIX — Automatic license plate scanners like Flock cameras are uniting people across party lines. But not in the Arizona governor’s race.
Gov. Katie Hobbs and her Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, addressed the issue at a public-safety forum on Tuesday. And they said they envision very different roles for the state.
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Hobbs said tools like Flock can help law enforcement solve crimes.
“Communities should be able to use that technology, and I trust those local officials and leaders to make those decisions,” Hobbs said, adding that she understood such tech also raises privacy concerns.
Tempe, Chandler and Cave Creek are the latest municipalities in the Valley to end their contracts with Flock Safety. Police departments in Surprise, Chandler, Goodyear and Apache Junction are investigating potential misuse of their Flock systems.
Hobbs said she thinks local officials should be in the driver’s seat.
“Our job is to put in place guardrails and safeguards so that that technology is used responsibly in the right ways, whether that's around training, audits, whatever needs to happen,” she said. “But it is not our job to tell communities how to enforce their laws.”
Biggs said the state should play a larger role.
"The state will probably have to step, step in, and say, ‘We're not going to have Flock cameras,’” he said.
The congressman pointed to cities and towns that have moved away from the technology.
“We are seeing an overwhelming rejection of Flock cameras,” he said.
Biggs said he was concerned about how the scanners could violate drivers’ privacy.
“We need to make sure we have the technology necessary to protect the public, but you have a very delicate balancing act that you're going to have to deal with,” he said.
He also raised concerns the technology could link license plates to people’s cellphones. Flock Safety says its license plate reader cameras capture still images of license plates and some vehicle characteristics and do not identify who is inside the vehicle.
Hobbs and Biggs talked about Flock at the Arizona Police Association Gubernatorial Public Safety Policy Forum in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday night, where they addressed issues such as border security and the fentanyl crisis.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Thursday that she is looking into how Flock cameras and similar technologies are being used in Arizona. When her analysis is finished, she will deliver a report to the Legislature and governor, she said.
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