Penn State is not renewing its agreement with Flock Safety and is instead ending the use of Flock security cameras on the University Park campus.
Sara Thorndike, the university’s senior vice president for business, said in response to a question during a faculty senate meeting Tuesday that Penn State's use of Flock cameras is ending.
“After reviewing the cost of the system, the return on investment and the operational value, Police and Public Safety has determined that we’re not renewing the contract that has expired," Thorndike said.
She said the cameras are currently being removed from campus.
Penn State had been piloting the use of Flock license plate readers on the University Park campus. But Thorndike did not rule out the possibility that the university could use other security systems in the future.
“We will continue to research and assess tools that may provide similar data for us, but we are not renewing that Flock agreement," she said.
Flock cameras are reportedly in more than 6,000 communities in 49 states. Supporters say the automatic license plate readers assist with law enforcement and safety. But critics say the data could be hacked or used improperly and the cameras are an invasion of privacy.
