4

4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS SURVEILLANCE Flock cameras in Washtenaw County? MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 Automated license-plate-reading cameras, such as Flock Cameras, are present in Washtenaw County and are being actively debated. There are heated community discussions nationwide on what constitutes public safety versus personal privacy while using this technology. The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and local municipalities like Ypsilanti Township and Pittsfield Township have discussed, considered or deployed automated license plate reading (ALPR) technology to assist with law enforcement investigations. The installation of these stationary, solar-powered cameras — which capture vehicle plates, makes, models and exterior details — has drawn pushback from residents and local activist groups concerned about data privacy and mass surveillance. There are approximately 3,000 to 4,000 ALPR cameras deployed across at least 54 of Michigan's 83 counties. Washtenaw County does not use automated speed or red-light enforcement cameras (often referred to as photo-radar or "flat" cameras) because Michigan law banned automated traffic tickets. The cameras positioned in Washtenaw County above traffic lights or along highways do not issue tickets and are used purely for traffic timing and monitoring. According to crowd-sourced data on DeFlock.org, private entities — such as local Home Owners Associations, and major retailers like Meijer and Lowe's — operate independent license plate readers across Ann Arbor and Scio Township. In 2022, Ypsilanti Township officials explored installing close to 70 cameras, Groundcover Vendor Code While Groundcover is a non-profit, and paper vendors are self-employed contractors, we still have expectations of how vendors should conduct themselves while selling and representing the paper. The following is our Vendor Code of Conduct, which every vendor reads and signs before receiving a badge and papers. We request that if you discover a vendor violating any tenets of the Code, please contact us and provide as many details as possible. Our paper and our vendors should be positively impacting our County. • Groundcover will be distributed for a voluntary donation. I agree not blanketing entrances and exits to township roadways, while surrounding the Ypsilanti city limits. Online survey responses showed that a strong majority of Ypsilanti Township residents opposed a proposal to cover the area with ALPR for use by law enforcement. During an online community education event in April 2022, of 1,148 respondents to an online survey who indicated they lived in Ypsilanti Township, 999 said they opposed using the license plate readers. Thirty-two were neutral and 117 strongly supported it. Ypsilanti Township has a history of installing fixed public safety surveillance cameras on utility poles in specific neighborhoods (such as West Willow, Harris Park, Holmes Road, Apple Ridge), managed via local public safety/neighborhood watch initiatives. The Saline City Council discussed a similar proposal for ALPR cameras with local police, but council members expressed hesitation and reservations regarding data privacy. The Milan Police Department operates four Flock Safety cameras. The Michigan Department of Transportation hosts a live feed of highway cameras on major routes like I-94, US-23 and M-14 passing through Washtenaw County. The City of Ann Arbor utilizes roughly 55% of its major intersections to test "Gridsmart" adaptive traffic cameras for data tracking and mitigating severe crashes. The "Gridsmart" system mitigates these crashes primarily by optimizing traffic signal timing in real time through advanced computer vision, which actively prevents dangerous broadside (T-bone) collisions, wrong-way driving incidents and pedestrian strikes. Rather than relying on traditional in-ground to ask for more than the cover price or solicit donations by any other means. • When selling Groundcover, I will always have the current biweekly issue of Groundcover available for customer purchase. • I agree not to sell additional goods or products when selling the paper or to panhandle, including panhandling with only one paper or selling an issue more than 4 weeks old. • I will wear and display my badge when selling papers and refrain from wearing it or other Groundcover gear when engaged in other activities. • I will only purchase the paper from Groundcover Staff and will not sell to or buy papers from other Groundcover vendors, especially loops, the system uses an omnidirectional "bell camera" to provide 360degree situational awareness. Local platforms like "Trafficvision. Live" aggregate roughly 400+ live traffic feeds across the county. Trafficvision. Live aggregates over 155,000 public live camera feeds from departments of transportation, municipalities and official global sources into a single, searchable map and grid interface. The stationary cameras — capturing vehicle license plates, color, make, model and other distinguishing features but no information on the driver — offer a tool for police contending with an increase in violent crime, according to the Sheriff’s Office report. A rapid succession of high-profile police misconduct scandals across the nation and data misuse tracking cases collectively ignited the massive public backlash. While privacy advocates like the ACLU had warned about these cameras for years, the turning point from quiet compliance to active, nationwide resistance was specific incidents where the technology was abused for personal stalking and political targeting. The domestic stalking scandals caused public outrage to reach a boiling point following revelations that police officers were using the massive nationwide database to track romantic partners. In Reynoldsburg, Ohio, multiple officers resigned after an internal investigation revealed the system was used over 40 times to track a former domestic partner. Similar investigations into officers tracking their wives or exes emerged in multiple states, proving to the public that internal guardrails were insufficient. Backlash intensified when it was revealed that Flock data was accessed vendors who have been suspended or terminated. • I agree to treat all customers, staff, and other vendors respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten, harass or pressure customers, staff, or other vendors verbally or physically. • I will not sell Groundcover under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • I understand that I am not a legal employee of Groundcover but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. • I understand that my badge is property of Groundcover and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers. • I agree to stay off private property when selling Groundcover. • I understand to refrain from by authorities trying to track a woman seeking a self-managed abortion. This bridged the gap between theoretical privacy concerns and real-world consequences, alienating citizens across the political spectrum, merging political surveillance and medical data. In a prominent abuse-of-power case, police in Lenexa, Kan. were accused of using the city’s license plate readers to intentionally track the movements of a resident who had written a newspaper column criticizing the police department. Activists and local governments began pushing back aggressively after reports surfaced that local police agencies were running thousands of searches to assist federal immigration enforcement, including tracking vehicles tied to cameras installed near schools. Because these events exposed how easily a privately-owned network of over 120,000 cameras could map out a citizen's "pattern of life," a fierce "De-Flock" movement exploded. Residents now use crowd-sourced tracking maps like DeFlock to locate and monitor the placement of these automated readers across Michigan neighborhoods. In dozens of states, citizens have taken matters into their own hands, with widespread reports of people cutting down camera poles with electric saws, blocking lenses or destroying the equipment. Flock Cameras are not a new technology, but they are getting people's attention due to personal privacy and mass surveillance concerns. There is no scheduled upcoming meeting specifically for ALPR cameras in Washtenaw County but stay tuned because Groundcover News will be following Flock camera stories as they develop in and around the Washtenaw County area. selling on public buses, federal property or stores unless there is permission from the owner. • I agree to stay at least one block away from another vendor in downtown areas. I will also abide by the Vendor Corner Policy. • I understand that Groundcover strives to be a paper that covers topics of homelessness and poverty while providing sources of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word. If you would like to report a violation of the Vendor Code or leave positive review of a Vendor experience please email contact@ groundcovernews.com or fill out the contact form on our website. SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

5 Publizr Home