Police chief: 'Our agency will not tolerate destruction of public or private property as an acceptable form of debate' 

Mt. Sterling Police Chief Aaron Noel issued a statement concerning the arrest this week of Robert West Taylor in connection with the reported recent destruction of eight Flock cameras in the community.

Six belonged to the dept. The other two were privately owned by Lowe'’s.

“We appreciate the thoughtful feedback and questions that the public has submitted surrounding the Flock system,” Noel said. “Unfortunately, there has been a constant stream of false information about Flock being shared on many social media platforms. As a result, we have made it a point to share factual information about this system in as many different ways as possible. 

“Our dept. has shared information on the radio, through the local press and at city council meetings,” he added. “Most importantly, we have shared this information through individual one-on-one conversations with many concerned citizens. We appreciate those who have taken the time to have a conversation with us about the Flock system, and whether they agree with us or not, understand and appreciate our position about the usefulness of this system in our efforts to protect and serve our community.”

Noel has repeatedly shared that the he cameras are a valuable investigative tool.

“As Chief, I have truly seen the value of this system, and am thankful that this tool of law enforcement has been used nationwide to help locate missing elderly and dementia patients; locate missing children; and identify the locations of sexual offenders, drug traffickers and dangerous felons,” Noel said. “Providing safety and security in our community is our top priority, and with Flock, we have the ability to help safeguard this community that we all love, against all identified threats.

“To those we faithfully serve who may question this system, please be assured that we have internal safeguards and audits in place to ensure that the information gathered is not misused,” he added. “Audits of our use are conducted monthly, and any misuse of the system by one of our officers will result in disciplinary action and could be grounds for termination,” Noel added. 

Noel said disagreement is not grounds for destruction.

“We are blessed to live in an amazing country, and we respect and cherish all of the rights granted to us by the Constitution,” Noel said. “Everyone has a right to agree or disagree with the manner of which we provide public safety. However, our agency will not tolerate destruction of public or private property as an acceptable form of debate. 

“We respectfully ask that the community continue to reach out to us if you have any questions about our agency, our officers or our use of Flock,” he added. “We serve you, and we appreciate your input and sharing of any ideas that you may have on how we can make our community a safer place. We are as proud of this community as you are, and we want nothing more than to partner together to make our community be the best that is possibly can be. Thank you to those who continue to treat our officers with kindness, compassion and respect.”

Noel asked the public to contact him at 859-498-8899 if he can help answer any questions.

He also thanked the Winchester Police Dept. and Chief Travis Thompson for all the assistance and resources that helped with this investigation.