Rob Sand Talks About Accountability and Flock Cameras in Oskaloosa

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand in a quiet moment before speaking with the media at his town hall stop in Oskaloosa this week.

Iowa’s state auditor is running for governor. While visiting Oskaloosa, he discussed his experience as a prosecutor and shared his thoughts on police body camera systems.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – State Auditor Rob Sand said his time as a prosecutor influenced how he thinks about government.

Before a campaign event in Oskaloosa on August 11th, Sand spoke with local reporters. He is running as the Democratic candidate for governor of Iowa.

Sand will face Republican candidate Zach Lahn in the November 3rd election.

In the interview, Sand talked about government trust, working with Republicans, and police surveillance cameras. He also answered questions about a court case involving a former Mahaska County supervisor.

Mahaska County court case

Oskaloosa News asked Sand about his role in the case against Henry “Willie” Van Weelden.

Van Weelden was a member of the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors. Sand was an assistant Iowa attorney general at the time.

The state accused Van Weelden of using an official county letter to place his wife on the county’s health insurance plan.

A Mahaska County jury found Van Weelden guilty in 2012. The charges were first-degree theft, misconduct in office and tampering with records.

That first verdict did not stand.

A judge ordered a new trial after video from an April 2009 county board meeting was found. The video supported part of Van Weelden’s defense.

The Iowa Court of Appeals agreed that Van Weelden should receive a new trial.

Van Weelden was found not guilty during the second trial. He later returned to the Board of Supervisors.

Oskaloosa News covered the first trial and the second court case.

Sand said he always tried to see each person he prosecuted as a human being. He added that the government should hold people accountable when they break the law.

Sand said people in public office have a duty to earn the public’s trust. He believes they should serve the community, not themselves or special interests.

He said government needs clear rules that help officials make the right choices.

Sand said he would bring that same approach to the governor’s office and work with Republicans

Sand was asked how he would pass his plans if Republicans control the Iowa Legislature.

He said many of his ideas could get support from both parties. He thinks lawmakers would feel pressure to act if voters chose him because of those plans.

Sand said he would work with lawmakers from both parties.

If lawmakers refused to send him a bill, Sand said he would encourage voters to reach out to their state representatives.

Sand was also asked how he would deal with a president from either party.

He said he would make decisions based on what is best for Iowa. Sand said he would turn down a bad idea from a Democrat and support a good idea from a Republican.

Sand defends auditor’s office

Sand also discussed an Iowa law that limited some powers of the state auditor’s office.

Supporters of the law have said it was needed to protect private information. That included health records from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sand disagreed with that reason. He said government watchdogs warned the law could make it harder to find waste, fraud, and abuse.

Sand also stated that his campaign is ready for four debates. He also invited Lahn to hold 100 public town halls.

Sand said he wants debates to allow open discussion, not just short answers.

Flock cameras raise privacy questions

Oskaloosa News also asked Sand about Flock Safety cameras.

Flock is a company that sells automated license plate reader systems, also known as ALPRs.

The cameras take pictures of passing vehicles and can record the license plate, vehicle type, color, date, time, and location.

Police can search that information during an investigation.

Supporters say the cameras can help find stolen vehicles and missing people. They also help police identify vehicles linked to crime. Critics worry the cameras can track where people travel. They are also concerned about who can access the records and how the information is shared.

Oskaloosa News reported in December 2025 on a study of these cameras in Iowa.

The University of Iowa Technology Law Clinic and the ACLU of Iowa studied camera use in 48 Iowa communities. The groups warned that the cameras were creating a large surveillance network.

Flock Safety was listed as the largest provider of these cameras in Iowa.

Sand said people have valid reasons to be concerned. He also mentioned reports of license plate reader systems being misused.

However, Sand said decisions about the cameras should mostly be made by local governments.

He said a city could choose another company if it was not satisfied with Flock. He also encouraged people to share their concerns with city councils and county boards.

Fourth Amendment concerns

Oskaloosa News asked whether police could use a private company to avoid legal limits on government surveillance.

The Fourth Amendment protects people from unreasonable government searches.

Sand said those concerns are fair and serious. However, he did not say that Flock cameras violate the Fourth Amendment.

He also did not call for state rules about how the cameras can be used.

A second reporter asked about people who travel into another city.

For example, an Oskaloosa resident could drive into Ottumwa. Cameras there could record that person’s vehicle. The Oskaloosa resident would have no vote on Ottumwa’s camera policy.

Sand responded by listing other problems Iowa faces, such as water quality, cancer, income growth, government trust, and data centers.

Sand said the state government should focus on those bigger issues.

He did not explain what the state should do when cameras in one city collect information about people from another city.

Sand also did not provide state rules on how long the information can be retained. He did not propose rules about sharing the information, getting a warrant or limiting who can search it.

Other problems facing Iowa

Sand said the next governor will face several hard problems.

Those problems include the state budget, property taxes and rural health care.

Sand said being governor is about serving the public. He said the governor must make the best decisions possible, even when times are tough.

Sand previously visited Oskaloosa during a September 2025 campaign stop at Smokey Row.

The general election will be held Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026.