(KIWA Staff Photo)
Statewide Iowa (RI) — There are no reports in Iowa of any deliberate vandalism of traffic cameras used to read license plates, but some Iowans oppose the use of so-called Flock cameras, fearing the data they gather could be misused.
Coralville has removed the cameras, and a petition drive in Iowa City aims to have them taken down. In Spencer, City Manager Kevin Robinson responded to questions circulating on social media about whether the city is using the cameras.
Robinson says the city does have a few cameras on street lights, but they are used only to monitor traffic flow. He says it’s difficult to fight online claims about the Flock cameras because some websites allow anyone to report sightings without verification.
A report from the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa finds the use of automatic license-plate readers is expanding statewide. According to the report, Cedar Rapids had the most cameras at 76, followed by West Des Moines with 64, and Clinton County with 58.
