The 21st Assembly of the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) released a statement on Instagram supporting the removal of Flock cameras from campus on Friday.

Penn State chose not to renew its agreement with Flock Safety in October and has since worked to remove the 20 reported Flock security cameras on campus.

“The 21st Assembly of the University Park Undergraduate Association supports University Police & Public Safety’s (UPPS) decision to not renew its contract with Flock Safety,” the statement said. … “The UPUA additionally resolves to oppose future adoption of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) at University Park.”

ALPRs run constantly, capturing and analyzing license plate data. Flock Safety claims on its website that it uses this data to “help locate missing people, recover stolen vehicles, investigate serious crime, and support faster emergency response.”

According to UPUA — which released a survey on Instagram after Penn State’s decision not to renew its contract with the security company — 88% of respondents somewhat or strongly opposed the use of Flock cameras, and 80% were extremely or very concerned about privacy loss from ALPR use.

The survey also found that 63% of respondents preferred Flock ALPRs be removed and another 25% preferred a temporary suspension. Ninety percent said it’s extremely or very important that Penn State publicly explain how it collects, retains, accesses, and shares the data.

UPUA said it received 100 survey responses, 99 of which were from undergrad students.

In the statement, UPUA also asked Penn State to publicly explain how it collects, accesses, and shares data for any security tool UPPS adopts.

“The University Park Undergraduate Association is committed to ensuring a strong relationship with the University Police & Public Safety, grounded in frequent and open communication,” the statement said. “The undergraduate student body should be able to directly hear about decisions that affect them from the university administration and their student government.”

Penn State discontinued its use of Flock cameras after “reviewing the system’s cost, return on investment, and operational value,” UPPS Chief Information Officer Jacqueline Sheader told Onward State in October.

The university left the door open for using tools that may provide similar operational capabilities to Flock cameras in the future.

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