Police describe Flock camera program, say 10 additional units would improve coverage; council budgeted for expansion

Police Chief (presenter) and a department representative described the city’s license‑plate reader network on May 20 and recommended adding 10 cameras to capture remaining entry and exit routes.

The department said the current system went live in August and has been used to recover 20 stolen vehicles and to develop investigative leads 51 times; detectives used Flock data to identify a vehicle involved in a homicide and to locate suspects related to two shootings in March–April. Staff showed proposed camera placements (red arrows on a map) to cover entrances and exits not currently captured and improve plate capture on main thoroughfares.

The department said current annual costs for the existing system are approximately $30,000. They presented a quote showing 10 additional cameras would cost about $36,000 in the first year (installation included) and roughly $30,000 per year thereafter for the added cameras, meaning the incremental ongoing cost would be approximately $60,000 annually if both current and new cameras are paid for. Council asked about financing; staff said the 10 additional cameras were not in the original budget request but were added afterward and are factored into the draft fiscal‑year 2026 budget.

Council members and staff discussed placement priorities and how the system has helped reduce stolen‑vehicle incidents; the presenter said the department had about 20 stolen vehicles in the prior nine months and that recoveries are significantly down since cameras were installed. No procurement or vendor contract was approved at the May 20 meeting; the presentation informed budget deliberations and council asked staff to proceed with budgeting and placement analysis.