UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. \u2014 Penn State police are ending their contract with Flock Safety and removing the company\u2019s license plate cameras from the University Park campus.<\/p>\n
The cameras photograph passing cars and log their plates, and police in Allentown and Bethlehem use the same kind. Penn State is dropping its cameras as state lawmakers weigh limits on them, and it said the decision came down to cost and value.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter reviewing the cost of the system, the return on investment and the operational value, Police and Public Safety has determined that we\u2019re not renewing the contract that has expired,\u201d Penn State Chief Financial Officer Sara Thorndike said in answer to a question at a Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday, WPSU reported<\/a>. She said the cameras are being removed now.<\/p>\n In a statement, Jacqueline Sheader, a spokesperson for University Police and Public Safety, described the deal as an \u201cinitial one-year contract\u201d for cameras \u201cat select campus perimeter locations.\u201d She said the department is considering other tools but has not chosen a replacement.<\/p>\n The statement did not say what the contract cost or when the cameras will all be gone.<\/p>\n Stay informed on Lehigh Valley news<\/p>\n Get our newsletter for ongoing coverage and follow-ups on stories like this one.<\/p>\n By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy<\/a> and consent to receive updates.<\/p>\n When Thorndike first confirmed the pilot in February, a university spokesperson told WPSU it was \u201climited in scope and duration, with no contract or cost during the testing period.\u201d<\/p>\n Penn State has not said how many cameras it ran or where. In February, the spokesperson told WPSU that it did not publish locations and counts \u201cfor security reasons\u201d and that the public had no access to the data.<\/p>\n Thorndike also called the cameras part of a \u201csystemwide safety pilot\u201d that month. This week\u2019s statement does not say whether the pilot reached any other campus, such as Penn State Lehigh Valley in Center Valley.<\/p>\n Closer to home, Allentown announced 67 Flock cameras<\/a> in January 2024. Bethlehem police defended their own readers<\/a> in an August report that did not say how many the city has. DeFlock, a volunteer map of plate readers, counted more than 200 across the Lehigh Valley as of late August.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania has no law setting statewide rules for the data the cameras collect. State lawmakers have proposed bills to restrict or ban them.<\/p>\n Both candidates for governor in the Nov. 3 election oppose the cameras. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a late-August news conference that he \u201cwould welcome bipartisan legislation to ban these across the state.\u201d His Republican challenger, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, called them an \u201cintrusive invasion of privacy\u201d in a statement and said they should be banned.<\/p>\n Stay informed on Lehigh Valley news<\/p>\n Get our newsletter for ongoing coverage and follow-ups on stories like this one.<\/p>\n