Protesters demanded last week that Bloomington end its contract with Flock: a company running a nationwide network of license plate-reading cameras. In an interview Monday, Police Chief Mike Diekhoff acknowledged the risks but defended Flock as a crime-solving tool.
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“It is very useful technology,” Diekhoff said. “I would say that if we do away with that technology and the ability for us to use it, we will compromise the safety of the citizens of Bloomington.”
Flock cameras take pictures of passing vehicles and store those photos for 30 days. Departments on the Flock network can enter a license plate number or a vehicle description to search cameras across the country for hits.
Diekhoff said the BPD adopted Flock after using the information from the IU Police Department’s cameras to help solve an armed robbery at the IU Credit Union on 17th Street.
Since installing its cameras in 2024, Diekhoff said his department has used them to solve two murders, a rape case and several child abductions. It currently operates 10 permanent cameras plus a mobile one. Other local departments including the IUPD and Monroe County Sheriff’s Office also have contracts with Flock, as do some business such as Lowe’s.
To run a search, Bloomington officers must enter a case number and a reason.
“We've done a pretty good job of managing that data and making sure our people are searching it for law enforcement purposes, only for criminal cases,” he said.
But the powerful surveillance tool comes with a risk. While Flock doesn’t contract with ICE, the immigration agency has gone through friendly police departments to search vehicles in communities that limit data sharing. And one Wisconsin officer used Flock to stalk ex-girlfriend.
“Does that stuff happen? Yes,” Diekhoff said. “Could it happen anywhere? Yes. So how we respond to that and how we deal with that data security is what's important, and I believe we are taking numerous steps to make sure that the data is used appropriately.”
For example, Bloomington filters out requests from other agencies that use “immigration” as a keyword in searches. Until recently, departments using Flock have had latitude to enter almost any reason for a search, including the term “sus”. Recently Flock updated its search function to include an offense type from a dropdown menu, which could give local departments a bit more control.
But even though BPD doesn’t assist with immigration enforcement, some Flock-using departments in Indiana, including the State Police, have agreements with ICE to carry out that work on its behalf. And a law being debated in the statehouse could compel all local departments to assist ICE operations.
Diekhoff said he isn’t sure whether that law would force Bloomington to hand over Flock data if passed.
“I mean, that's probably true, but I don’t know that,” he said, adding that the city continues to review its policies.
Mayor Kerry Thomson is meeting with Flock representatives this month to discuss data safety. She told The B Square Bulletin that ending Bloomington’s contract is on the table.
Diekhoff doesn’t support ending the contract, but like Thomson he said he understands the backlash.
“People are scared,” he said. “They are afraid of what's going on with ICE in the national level, and so that that fear leads to people wanting to make sure that they're safe.”
