The Hillsborough Board of Commissioners has decided to terminate the town’s contract for 10 license plate reader cameras due to concerns about data privacy. The five cameras that had been installed will be removed.

The decision came after a discussion in closed session Monday evening involving the board, police chief and town attorney.

Police Chief Jason Winn and Mayor Mark Bell released a joint statement today:

"The Town of Hillsborough and the Hillsborough Police Department agree it is in the best interests of our community to stop the installation and use of license plate reader cameras in our town.

"Both the town and Police Department were excited about implementing a new technology that has been shown to help solve crimes, find missing persons, and increase the ability of patrol officers to deter crime. The technology by Flock Safety was authorized this past June as part of the town’s annual budget. As we went through the installation process, we began learning more about the system, the company, and issues noted throughout the country, particularly concerns about data security. Our job is to keep our community safe, and their privacy rights are of utmost concern.

"We are terminating the contract with Flock Safety and will remove all the company’s equipment. While this technology would provide benefits for police and community safety, we also have to weigh the potential negative impacts that the program may present to the community as a whole. We will look for new and other innovative programs and applications for our police department to continue our commitment to keeping Hillsborough a safe and prosperous community."

Contract

This past summer, the town entered into a two-year contract with Flock Safety for cameras that take still images, focusing on a vehicle’s distinguishing features. The cost for installation and two years of operations is about $81,500. Installation of the cameras had begun this month.

The Police Department had intended to use the license plate readers for investigations. Upon a closer review of the contract this month, town leaders became concerned about language that could be interpreted as allowing Flock Safety to disclose data to any government entity or third party if the company had a “good faith belief” of a need to do so.