UB plans 20 Flock-style cameras this spring amid student privacy concerns

The University at Buffalo is planning to install 20 Flock-style cameras this spring as part of a 60-day trial program, but university officials are working to address concerns on campus.

The cameras will be at the entrances and exits of the North Campus in Amherst and the South Campus in Buffalo. The trial program is expected to begin in March or April.

Students at UB's North Campus in Amherst are reacting to the plans.

"It's important to know what they are going to be gathering," UB student Chadwick Podkulski said.

"As the University of Buffalo Chief of Police, I have an obligation to keep our students, faculty, and staff members safe," Kimbery Beaty, Chief, University at Buffalo Police, said.

Chief Beaty said she realizes there is a great deal of concern over privacy with the cameras. But UB Police will not use facial recognition. They will use license plate readers for criminal investigations into stolen vehicles, hit-and-runs, robberies or other campus crimes.

"It does not do facial recognition, so we're not looking to do anything like that with biometrics or facial recognition," Beaty added.

WATCH: UB plans 20 Flock-style cameras this spring amid student privacy concerns

Some law enforcement agencies have been in hot water for misusing Flock camera data, but Beaty told me the number of users will be limited.

"We are not going to share our information with other agencies," Beaty noted. "The access will only be privileged to our investigators and our deputies of investigations. We have a limited number of supervisors that will have access to the information. Our patrol officers will not have access."

Still, some students are worried about it.

"Even if it's not going to be used for facial recognition, it's still like a timeline between just like surveillance everywhere," Zeki Ozay said.

"This is a school. This is a place where people have to learn. So like I think it's unfair that we're being policed and we're being watched specifically by such a damaging industry," UB student Maggie Giancola said.

Beaty also promises the data will be deleted after the trial period.

"It will be deleted because we won't need it after that, and keep in mind, some plate reader companies have a seven-day retention, so after seven days that information is gone, so we have to be very efficient in working on our solvability rates, Beaty remarked.

"It's protecting our privacy, and it's protecting our safety, so that's one thing. But as long as they delete the information afterward, I'm totally okay with it," Podkulski replied.

UB will be holding public meetings to address concerns on campus.

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