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Council pauses decision on Flock ALPR program after extended public concerns
Summary
After a multi-hour work session and public testimony, Springfield city leaders asked police and staff to return with narrower options and safeguards for the Flock automated license-plate recognition (ALPR) system; no vote was taken to activate or cancel the system.
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield officials heard more than an hour of presentation, council questions and public testimony on the city’s Flock automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) system on Monday, and chose not to vote on activation. Instead, council members asked police and staff to return with a narrowed set of implementation options and added safeguards.
Chief Rush of the Springfield Police Department told the council the presentation was intended to “address the concerns raised by members of our community, highlight the benefits of ALPR technology and reaffirm that this discussion is not about choosing between technology and community, but rather is it an opportunity for us to work together to develop strong, trusted, and accountable practices.” The chief and police tactical analyst, Brian Austin, described ALPR as a targeted investigative tool rather than a video surveillance system: “Automated license plate readers capture still images of vehicles traveling on public roadways. They are not video cameras.”
The police and their vendor representatives emphasized uses they say have produced…
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