FAQ

WHAT DID THE OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS VOTE ON?

They voted to approve "Project Prove It," which will deploy Flock autonomous drones across Oakland County airspace. The vote passed 13–4.

WERE RESIDENTS ALLOWED TO SPEAK BEFORE THE VOTE?

No. Commissioner Angela Powell motioned to move public comment to the end of the meeting. Chair Dave Woodward and all of the commissioners, with the exception of Commissioner Kristen Nelson and Commissioner Charlie Cavell, supported the motion, preventing constituents from speaking before the decision was made.

HOW DID MY COMMISSIONER VOTE ON FLOCK DRONES?

Voted YES (13): Chair Dave Woodward + Commissioners Luebs, Markham, Spisz, Hoffman, Taylor, Gingell, Joliat, Powell, Miller, Gershenson, Weipert, and Smiley

Voted NO (4): Commissioners Cavell, Nelson, Erickson-Gault, and Smith Charles

HOW ARE FLOCK DRONES DIFFERENT FROM THE SHERIFF'S DRONES?

The Sheriff's department already uses drones — but those are pilot-operated and store data on-site. Flock drones are autonomous and store data in the cloud, creating a much broader risk to your personal privacy and data.

DOES OAKLAND COUNTY ALREADY HAVE A DRONE POLICY?

No. The Sheriff's office has a department-level policy, but it only covers the pilot-operated drones they currently use — not autonomous drones. The Sheriff can also change his policy at any time, without a public vote. The Board of Commissioners is the county's policy-making body, and they have no drone policy at all, even after voting to approve Flock drones.

DOES THE COUNTY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH FLOCK? HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

Although Dave Woodward has claimed there is no contract, a group of residents recently filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and were able to obtain a contract between the county and Flock Safety. The contract is for $2.5 million after a "free trial" during which Flock will be collecting, storing and potentially sharing the personal data of county residents.

HOW CAN I SIGN THE RECALL PETITION?

Petition signatures will be gathered beginning July 25. Only residents of Chair Woodward's district, District 1, can sign. Our team will be knocking on doors, having drive-in signings, and at events. However, anyone can help make a difference by joining I Am Oakland County.

WHO IS "I AM OAKLAND COUNTY" AND HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

I Am Oakland County is registered as a political committee with Oakland County. This allows us to fundraise and to spend money on the recall effort, such as printing petitions, purchasing pens, paper and clip boards, and having this website! We are the official team behind the day-to-day work of a successful recall, led by Oakland County residents Mike Flores and Justine Galbraith. We have a team of leaders behind the scenes and a large group of volunteers who are actively engaging at commission meetings and with the recall effort. We would love for you to join us.

Our most urgent need is for volunteers who will help collect petition signatures at doors and at events. Click here to learn more and sign up to help!

You can also complete this form to indicate if you are interested in other ways to help (such as a yard sign, attending a meeting, or even running for office) and we will keep you updated by email!