Sheriff asks commission to delay license-plate-reader purchase after public concern, resolution pulled

Sheriff Kenneth Christopher asked the Benton County Commission to delay a planned purchase of license-plate readers after a member of the public urged caution because of pending legal challenges involving vendor practices.

Robert Jackson, a business owner who lives near Big Sandy, urged commissioners during the citizen comment period to pause before buying equipment from Flock and similar vendors while litigation runs its course. “I feel that they lied to us,” Jackson told the commission, and he recommended “maybe like a 6-month pause” until the Institute for Justice case moves through federal court. Jackson cited several widely reported local and out-of-state incidents he said involved misuse of plate-reader data and said some cities were not renewing vendor contracts.

Sheriff Kenneth Christopher, who sponsored the resolution, told commissioners he wanted time to confirm the county was getting “our best bang for our buck” and to check whether pending lawsuits could affect how the county may use the systems. The resolution on the agenda, Resolution 18, sought to appropriate $30,000 from the general fund unassigned balance to contract with Block Safety to install license-plate readers “in multiple locations throughout the county.” A motion to approve the appropriation was made by Commissioner Melton and seconded by Commissioner Hall; before the commission voted on the appropriation, the sheriff requested the item be pulled so he could gather additional information. The commission removed Resolution 18 from consideration at this meeting.

Jackson and the sheriff framed their concerns differently. Jackson urged postponement on privacy and litigation grounds; the sheriff said his main concerns were pricing, ensuring the county’s contract matched local needs, and confirming that any legal limits on vendor use would not prevent law enforcement from using the cameras for investigations. Christopher said the cameras had proven useful to law enforcement elsewhere — citing a Henry County investigation that used plate-reader data — but still asked for a pause to verify details.

The pull leaves the county with no formal purchase authorization at this meeting. Commissioners and staff said the sheriff would return with additional information and a recommended timeline; Sheriff Christopher suggested a one-month review period but said he would report back as information about the lawsuits and pricing became available.