BENNINGTON, NE. — Two Flock cameras owned and operated by the Bennington Police Department have been vandalized.
Bennington Police Chief Andrew Hilscher confirmed the vandalism to KMTV on Tuesday, as debate over the cameras' privacy and safety implications continues to grow across Douglas County and the U.S.
According to Hilscher, a Flock camera at 168th and Bennington Road was vandalized on August 8th.
The camera oversaw an area close to Bennington Middle School and Bennington High School.
A Flock camera at 156th and Highway 36 was vandalized on July 4th.
Hilscher said the cameras are part of a closed-circuit system, meaning no one except Bennington police officers can access them or their data.
The cameras are still in their demo phase and were installed in July.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said camera data can be used to help solve serious crimes.
April Wang, a Bennington resident originally from China, said she grew up around Flock cameras in China and said the cameras can be helpful for tracking crime.
"Whenever a crime happens, police can track down the crime (in) a very timely manner -- like overnight," Wang said. "They can find possibly most of the criminals."
Wang said she believes transparency is the best way to address privacy concerns surrounding the cameras.
"Try to be as transparent as possible to the public so the community can actually know how we handle the data, and then further, (feel) more comfortable with these cameras," Wang said.
Wang also said she believes the cameras serve an important function when data is handled responsibly.
Hilscher said there is no current timeline or plans to repair the two vandalized cameras.
