CALEDONIA — The Village of Caledonia will end its use of Flock cameras starting in 2027.
The Village Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to defund the Flock Security contract in the 2027 budget, a cost of about $12,000, according to Village President Prescott Balch.
He said those funds will be reallocated for the Caledonia Police Department to pursue other security options in the future, likely in 2027.
Watch this video to hear from Caledonia residents:
"I love to hear that they're starting to move in the right direction," said Caledonia resident DJ Bednar.
The village operates six cameras, including one near the entrance of Bednar's neighborhood.
"There's really only one way in or out where you won't have a Flock camera see you," he said.
He called the presence of the cameras and how they track vehicles "an invasion of privacy."
It's a sentiment his neighbor, Angela Barker, agrees with.
"A lot of people don't like it," she said.
Caledonia Police Chief Christopher Botsch said he supports the decision.
"I was a part of, and I am in support of, this decision," Botsch said in an email Thursday. "However, the decision to move away from Flock is also NOT a rejection of ALPR technology. I believe ALPR systems can be among the most effective tools available to law enforcement when they are used appropriately."
Last month, police credited the presence of a Flock camera at 7 Mile Road for enabling them to make speedy arrests in a shooting near 6 and a Half Mile Road.
"I'd rather not have them. But I can see both sides of it," said resident Jodi Switalski, who lives near where the shooting happened.
While she's seen the benefit of the cameras in her own neighborhood, she too welcomed the village's decision.
"I like that they're listening to the people," Switalski said.
As for how the police department proceeds, residents expressed some concern about alternate ALPR options.
"What scares me about that is they're just going to choose a different company to overtake what Flock was doing," Bednar said.
"For me, it depends on what technology they're using and how they're using it. And how easily it can be abused," Switalski said.
They said they hope the village continues to research and consider resident feedback.
"Talk to the right people and make sure whatever they're saying is okay to do, like this last one, is the right way, not how it's been," Barker said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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