MUNCIE, Ind. — Last Wednesday Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour recorded a video affirming his support of Flock cameras being used in Muncie. Ridenour called the technology helpful for solving crime. A procedure training on the topic was led by Muncie Police Chief Nate Sloan and attended by most members of city council.

Indiana Public Radio pointed out that Ridenour did not give examples of positive results of the devices. Also according to IPR, in 2022 there were 22 license plate scanners bought by the Muncie Police Department. Ridenour mentioned that EDIT (Economic Development Income Tax) funds have been used to fund Muncie’s Flock cameras.

“I cannot speak for how other departments have used it, but I know in Muncie we feel like we’ve got a pretty tight lid on it and we want to make sure that it’s available for us to help solve crimes and make people hopefully more safe,” Ridenour told citizens.

Ridenour’s announcement comes after a Flock camera was cut down on Ball State’s campus during the summer, when two brothers dressed in black used a saw and wire cutters to take down a license plate reader located at the intersection of Riverside Ave and Dick St.

Information about all Flock cameras, such as GPS coordinates and what direction the camera is pointed at, can be found on DeFlock.com.

Daisy Dale is the editor and publisher of The Muncie Post-Democrat, a commissioner for the Muncie Human Rights Commission, and a board member of Muncie Queer Alliance.