City accepts $5,000 donation to fund two Flock license‑plate reader cameras; council and police outline use and privacy limits

Council voted to accept a $5,000 donation from the Dufour Family Foundation to fund the lease of two Flock license-plate reader cameras used by law enforcement for targeted vehicle searches. Why it matters: police officials said the cameras are used to compare license plates against hot-lists such as NCIC entries for stolen vehicles or Amber Alert cases and are not used for continuous public surveillance. The department described the system as “only initiated by someone who has been flagged” and that it “only picks up what they’re looking for,” meaning it alerts on plates entered on a targeted list. The chief and mayor addressed privacy concerns raised on social media and explained the cameras’ operational limits: they are used for law enforcement queries initiated by warrants or hot-sheets and do not provide unfettered monitoring of residents. Council noted private-camera networks (such as HOA cameras) may retain data for private use but are not directly integrated into NCIC. Council accepted the donation and thanked the Dufour Family Foundation; staff noted the funds typically pay for the lease and license for the cameras on an annual basis and that this donation represents the final year of a multi-year commitment.