Selma police outline 18-entry camera system with 15 license‑plate readers, grant and budget amendment planned

Selma Police Chief Hughes briefed the town council on March 6 about a planned entry‑point camera system obtained through a Flock Safety grant that the department says will help investigations and vehicle identification.

Hughes described a system of 18 devices covering town entry points, of which 15 are license‑plate readers (LPRs) and three are conventional cameras. “We’re able to obtain some flock cameras… What you see on the map will actually show, 18 cameras… There’s 15 LPRs and 3 cameras. The LPRs actually are taking pictures of the car and the tags,” Hughes said.

Hughes cited a Flock Safety investigation in which the vendor’s network helped track a suspect in a 15‑year‑old’s abduction, saying the technology assisted in locating and rescuing the victim. He told council the vendor granted a temporary grace period and that a budget amendment to appropriate grant proceeds will come to the council at the next meeting.

Key operational notes provided to council: - Coverage: 18 devices positioned at town entry points (15 LPRs, 3 cameras). - Vendor/grant: system provided through Flock Safety; department said a grant and vendor arrangement cover deployment costs and include a 120‑day grace period. - Contract: the police chief said the arrangement is a two‑year contract. - Budget: a formal budget amendment to appropriate grant funding will be presented to council at the next regular meeting.

The chief framed the deployment as an investigatory tool to aid officer response and case work; there was no council vote on the cameras at the March 6 meeting. Council members asked questions about contract review and the pending budget amendment; the chief said the amendment would be available Tuesday night.

Ending: Council members thanked first responders and noted the matter will return with a formal budget amendment and contract paperwork for review.