FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — Fort Wayne City Council’s rejection of a $120,000 appropriation for Flock cameras Tuesday night should be viewed as a prohibition on the controversial surveillance system, according to Councilman Russ Jehl. Jehl, speaking Wednesday morning on WOWO’s Fort Wayne’s Mor ning News, said the Fort Wayne Police Department had approached the council after already using the Flock system for several years and was asking for funding after the fact. “The only way that City Council has been approached by the Fort Wayne Police Department on Flock was to ask for forgiveness rather than permission,” Jehl said. While Tuesday night’s vote technically involved an appropriations bill, Jehl said council members made their intent clear. “The council made it crystal clear that it was a de facto prohibition,” Jehl said. “We expected the mayor and the police department to honor the will of the legislative body.” Jehl said the council’s concerns go beyond the $120,000 price tag and center on privacy and government surveillance. He said the system was initially put in place without the knowledge of the council or the public. “It is a civil liberties issue,” Jehl said. “It is crossing the Rubicon when it comes to surveillance.” Jehl said council members spent the summer asking for transparency and discussion before ultimately rejecting the funding. Several council members also discussed the possibility of formally banning Flock if the cameras are not removed. What happens to the cameras? Fort Wayne has approximately 36 Flock cameras, and Tuesday night’s vote did not specifically lay out a process for removing them. Jehl said council had primarily been focused on whether to continue funding the system, rather than the mechanics of dismantling it. “There hasn’t been the ‘How do you clean it up?’ discussion yet,” Jehl said. He said the next step is for Mayor Sharon Tucker’s administration and the Fort Wayne Police Department to explain what happens to the cameras now that council rejected the appropriation. The Police Department issued a statement following Tuesday night’s vote saying it would “evaluate the impact” of the decision and “determine the appropriate path forward.” Jehl said if that statement means the department is considering continuing the system despite council’s vote, he believes that could accelerate calls for an outright ban. Asked whether he expects Flock cameras to still be operating in Fort Wayne six months from now, Jehl was direct. “No, I don’t,” he said. Jehl says Flock is bigger than Fort Wayne Jehl said the debate over Flock cameras is part of a larger national discussion about privacy, technology and government surveillance. He warned that the biggest concern is the possibility of Flock developing into a nationwide network. “There are Flock cameras instituted by the county. There are Flock cameras instituted by the state,” Jehl said. He believes Indiana lawmakers should address the issue at the state level, with legislation beginning in Indianapolis. He also said the issue ultimately needs national attention. Jehl pointed to Congressman Marlin Stutzman’s recent interest in the issue after Stutzman was stopped by a Flock camera because of expired plates. The Fort Wayne councilman said local officials cannot solve the broader national issue on their own. “We weren’t going to fix the national problems with the Fort Wayne vote last night,” Jehl said. He characterized the situation as a “wild west” where technological advances are moving faster than lawmakers can establish rules governing their use. Jehl said he expects legislation addressing Flock and similar technology to be introduced during the next Indiana legislative session. Jehl to visit Lafayette resource center Jehl also discussed his upcoming visit to Lafayette to examine a resource center similar to the proposed Anchor Resource Center in downtown Fort Wayne. Jehl said he has been skeptical of the Fort Wayne proposal but believes Mayor Tucker has put forward a serious proposal that deserves examination. He said the visit is part of the council’s broader due-diligence process. One of the things Jehl wants to see is how the Lafayette facility interacts with the surrounding neighborhood. The location of the proposed Fort Wayne facility, near the YMCA, a school and in the middle of downtown, has been one of the major concerns raised about the project, Jehl said. Jehl is expected to return to WOWO following his Lafayette visit to discuss what he sees and how it could affect his position ahead of the council’s upcoming vote on the Anchor Resource Center. Source: Interview with Fort Wayne City Councilman Russ Jehl on WOWO’s Fort Wayne’s Morning News. The post Fort Wayne City Council Rejects Flock Funding, Jehl Says Cameras Should Come Down appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less