ADRIAN, Mich. (WOWO) — Adrian city commissioners voted Monday night to withdraw from the city’s contract with Flock Safety, ending the use of the license plate-reading cameras after police determined the system was producing limited results. The decision came during Monday’s city commission me eting, following a recommendation from Adrian Police Chief Vince Enrick to end the contract. Adrian had 10 Flock cameras in operation for about three years. Enrick said the police department receives roughly 15,000 calls for service each year, but officers used information from the Flock cameras in just 79 cases last year. And even when the cameras were used, Enrick said, the information did not always lead to a successful result. “Of those, not every one is successful,” Enrick said during a Sept. 8 city commission meeting. Enrick said he had also spoken with the county sheriff about the system and found that neither agency was seeing the level of benefit they had expected from the cameras. “I’ve had a number of conversations with the sheriff, and between the two of our agencies, we’re not seeing the return that we thought we would,” Enrick said. Flock cameras are designed to capture license plates and other vehicle characteristics that can help law enforcement identify vehicles connected to investigations. Enrick also told commissioners that the usefulness of the system could decline as more communities cancel their Flock contracts. He said roughly 500 fewer law enforcement agencies had been using the system over an eight-month period, meaning fewer cameras were available to collect information. “There’s been about 500 fewer agencies over the last eight months. So people are withdrawing pretty quickly, and that’s fewer cameras out there,” Enrick said. The city was paying about $32,500 a year for its Flock camera system. Enrick said the money could instead be directed toward other community projects, including a proposed raised crosswalk in downtown Adrian. That project would require a separate vote. “I think that would go a long way in terms of slowing the traffic, reducing the noise complaints, and the issues that we’re having there,” Enrick said. Some Adrian residents who spoke about the cameras said they were not opposed to the technology but questioned whether it was the best use of city money. Adrian resident Markqone Russell said he could see a potential benefit from Flock cameras in a community experiencing a high crime rate, but did not believe the system was necessarily the right fit for Adrian. “I feel like Flock cameras would be beneficial to the Adrian area if it was a large crime rate,” Russell said. Vincent Inclan, owner of Vinny’s Barbershop Salon, said he would rather see the money directed toward other needs in the community. “There’s a lot of things it could go to, as far as parks and recreation, as far as the kids,” Inclan said. “We have a beautiful Raisin River that could be cleaned up and used for some kayaking. There’s so many things that can go on here in Adrian, and the budget has to be spent wisely.” With Monday night’s vote, Adrian will discontinue its Flock camera contract after roughly three years of use. City officials will consider other potential uses for the money separately. The post Adrian ends Flock camera contract after police cite limited results appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less