Coffee County recently removed two flock cameras, according to Sheriff Chad Partin.

Partin said during the Aug. 26 Law Enforcement Committee meeting that as sheriff he is sworn to the Constitution and sworn to protect the citizens from what they feel is a violation of their civil rights.

“When I got to asking questions and hearing things from across the country, my antennas went up,” Partin said.

Partin, proceeding cautiously, said that in his 34 years in law enforcement the cameras have been the best crime fighting, crime solving tool.

“We all use it. We solved a big case with it. Just because we don’t have it doesn’t somebody else doesn’t. We got it through another county. It has solved a lot of missing persons, missing children,” he said.

Partin detailed a recent case of a man who had been reported missing. His car and phone were left near Normandy Lake. After searching most of the weekend, the person was located using Manchester’s Flock cameras.

“But what bothers me to this day is I cannot hear anything from Flock Corporation or nor can any other law enforcement official from across the country from Flock of what happens to the data,” Partin said.

“Are we being used for a conduit for monetization?” he asked.

“That data is supposed to have a 30-day window, but it doesn’t matter if its 30 days or 30 seconds – I’ve not had anyone offer what the procedure is here for the data,” he said.

“I want you to know and the citizens to know that Coffee County is out of the Flock business,” Partin said.