While Flock cameras were not on the County Commissioner’s agenda for Monday’s meeting, several citizens took the opportunity to speak out during the public input session.
Robin Myers of Plymouth told the commissioners, “Anything we can give law enforcement as far as technology is a good thing.” While understanding the concerns, she suggested keeping the license plate readers for another year and bringing to the forefront the number of cases in Marshall County that the cameras have helped solve, like the baby that was kidnapped in our county and found within a short time. She said, “Now we have to determine if the good outweighs the bad and implement regular audit searches and establish consequences for misuse.”
Laura Brockway asked the commissioners to officially cancel the Flock contract after 4 of the 7 County Council members voted to defund the cameras in the Prosecutor’s budget for 2027. She said, “We the People decide how we want to live in Marshall County, and we do not want government cameras watching us.”
Thor (Paul) Hebner said that while he backs the blue and brown of the Sheriff’s Department and appreciates the work law enforcement does to keep our communities safe, he’s against the surveillance state and believes that privacy matters. Hebner also addressed the accusations made against people who oppose Flock as being communists or supporting communist China. He said it’s laughable because China is a surveillance state. As a veteran, he said it is insulting to be accused of being a communist.
Dusitn Peltz of Bremen said it is time to end the surveillance state in our country because they don’t have control over who uses them, with over hundreds of thousands of looks using the country’s cameras.
Mark Vogt asked about the constitutional authority and said the overwhelming majority of people in the county don’t want to be surveilled. He said, “We the People of Marshall County are requesting the commissioners to cancel the Flock contract.”
Kayla Krathwohl spoke in favor of the Flock cameras and said if anything happened to her child and she couldn’t find them, she believes you are taking away a service they need and handcuffing them. She suggested working with the vendor on the contract to make it something the county can approve of.
Calab Croy, who lives in rural Plymouth and is opposed to the Flock cameras, told the commissioners he has 6 children, and he doesn’t believe the Flock cameras protect his children any better than he can.
Joshua Croy of Argos, and owner of a cybersecurity company, told the commissioners there should always be auditing of systems being accessed and how they could be accessed in a manner they should be accessed.
Before the meeting closed, Commissioner Jessie Bonannon said that with all the people who showed up at their meeting, they deserve a vote on the Flock cameras. He said the people who are opposed are much greater than those who are for it. He wants to see the sheriff and prosecutor step up like in Kosciusko county did.
Bohannon went on to make a motion to terminate the contract with Flock immediately, but the motion didn’t receive a second.
Commissioner Adam Faulstich asked to have Flock put on an official agenda since it hasn’t been on one. He went on to say there are a lot of people on the fence. While they might not like it, they see the benefit of it.
Commissioner Stan Klotz asked where the incoming prosecutor and sheriff fit into the issue because they are the ones who will be dealing with it.
Faulstich then asked, since the prosecutor is a state employee and signed the contract, do we have the authority to terminate the contract?
County Attorney Sean Surrisi told them, “Not directly.” He continued, “If doors are being closed by county officials the prosecutor is dependent on to do business, then in practicality you can force his hand.” The attorney said there needs to be a discussion with him.
The Marshall County Commissioners set a tentative public meeting for October 6th at 6 p.m. in the second-floor meeting room of the County Building.
