The Evansville City Council abruptly ended its meeting Monday night during public comments about Flock cameras. WNIN’s John Gibson has details:
When the council approved the city budget on an 8-to-1 vote earlier this month, it included 182-thousand dollars for the license plate-reading cameras.
But residents continue to raise privacy concerns and ask the council to strip funding for Flock from the budget.
Council member Zac Heronemus reminded residents that the budget is done and the only way to end the Flock program would be an ordinance prohibiting it:
"But at this moment I don't know any council members that are willing to take that up."
Council Vice President Paul Green fully supports the camera system and pointed to an incident when Flock helped locate a missing child in Henderson:
"So you tell me when you speak up here, how many children do you want to sacrifice before you do this?"
Both Green and Heronemus expressed frustration and ended the meeting with some residents not getting an opportunity to speak.
"We've go a second to adjourn the meeting. Do we have it? We do, yeah. All in favor? Aye, aye."
Councilor Rita Taylor, who attended remotely, voted “no.”
Three council members did not attend the meeting: Mary Allen, Courtney Johnson, and Ben Trockman.
Angela Koehler-Lindsey left the meeting before the adjournment due to what she called a family emergency.
