Residents voice privacy fears over Oakland County police drone plan
Residents voice privacy fears over Oakland County police drone plan
Publish Date: 2026-04-07 19:30:00
Source Domain: www.clickondetroit.com
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A proposed pilot program that would allow drones to assist the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office in responding to 911 calls is expected to be voted on this Wednesday.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners is expected to see a large turnout at its meeting as it considers “Project Prove It,” a nine-month pilot program between the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and Flock Safety, a company already known in metro Detroit for its network of license plate reader cameras.
Under the proposal, Flock’s drones would assist deputies on 911 calls.
The pilot would be free for nine months; if extended, the program would cost $2.5 million over two years.
For residents like Justine Galbraith, the idea raises red flags.
“I don’t love the idea of drones. It feels very surveillance state to me,” Galbraith said.
Galbraith, who lives in Oakland County, said she is particularly troubled by how data collected by the drones might be stored, used, and shared.
“I don’t really know that I’m comfortable with the data piece of it,” Galbraith said.
Her concerns stem in part from language in the county’s agenda documents.
One section reads, “Flock shall own all rights to any data input into the Flock Services,” and another notes that “Flock reserves the right to create and market public indexes, analysis, or insights created from such data.”
Flock Safety has faced previous criticism from activists and groups over its automatic license plate readers, which law enforcement agencies across the country use to track vehicles.
On Tuesday, residents voiced mixed reactions when asked about the drone proposal.
“Kind of just depends,” Nathaniel said, indicating he was undecided.
Another resident, Sydney Flynn, was more direct: “Not a fan,” she said.
While Local 4 did not find anyone expressing strong support for the project during in-person interviews, comments on social media showed that some residents back the plan.
“I have nothing to hide,…
