In the News: Chair Dave Woodward and the Oakland County Commission

The Oakland County Commission, led by Chair Dave Woodward, has attracted significant media attention — and not for the right reasons. From pushing through a controversial surveillance drone contract with Flock Safety without allowing public comment before the vote, to allegations that Chair Woodward used his public office for personal profit when acting as a lobbyist for a Sheetz, a troubling pattern of self-serving and unaccountable governance has emerged. The public has taken notice, and so have news outlets. Below you'll find a collection of print and television news reports covering the conduct of Chair Woodward and our other Oakland County Commissioners.

In the News: Flock Safety & Surveillance Technology

The controversy over Oakland County's drone contract isn't happening in a vacuum. Across the country, communities are pushing back against Flock Safety's rapidly expanding surveillance network — raising serious concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and the lack of democratic oversight over how this technology gets deployed. Investigative journalists, civil rights organizations, and local advocates have scrutinized Flock Safety's business practices, its data-sharing agreements with law enforcement, and the secretive approval of contracts with little to no public input — a pattern Oakland County residents know all too well. The reporting below offers crucial context for understanding what's really at stake when elected officials fast-track surveillance technology.

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