ROWLEY, Mass. – The camera focused on the parking lot at Market Basket here is surveilling snow and ice accumulations, not license plates, according to Police Chief Michael Balsley.
When Chair Sherri David of the Rowley SelectBoard heard a variety of concerns from residents that Market Basket was operating a Flock camera, she asked Balsley on a Sunday afternoon to check out the camera near the Salem 5 bank branch.
The chief found that the camera operates only during winter months and is not capable of reading or identifying license plates.
Balsley said his department has no plans to install license plate-reading cameras in town. No other North Shore towns and cities operate such cameras, which have come under national scrutiny for misuse of the data that violates individuals’ privacy.
The police department has acquired a drone that can help find missing persons, Balsley said. The department has two certified operators and a command console in the rear of a police cruiser. It also earned FAA approval for using the drone, which the chief said was a significant accomplishment.
The drone and a second battery cost $19,468 and were paid for from a state police grant, he said.
It will be available to assist other towns under the county’s mutual assistance agreements. ♦
