Why I Changed My Vote on Flock License Plate Readers | Fort Wayne City Council

Our Take

Councilwoman Michelle Chambers didn't just cast a vote against Flock Safety's license plate readers in Fort Wayne — she explained, on camera, why she changed her mind. That kind of public reasoning is rare in local government, where ALPR contracts often sail through on "public safety" talking points with little scrutiny. Whatever her specific reasons, the fact that a sitting council member walked back her initial support is worth paying attention to.

We don't know every detail of her reasoning, and we're not going to put words in her mouth. But the broader pattern is familiar: councils vote yes on these systems before fully grappling with data retention, third-party access, and the lack of meaningful oversight once the cameras go up. When officials take a second look and reconsider, it's usually because someone finally asked the hard questions — about who can query the data, how long it's kept, and whether any of it actually reduces crime versus just logging everyone's movements.

Fort Wayne residents watching this debate should check whether Flock cameras are already operating near them on our map, and if you want to push your own council to slow down or reconsider a contract, our take-action page has the tools to do it. Credit to Councilwoman Chambers for putting her reasoning on the record — more officials should be willing to do the same.