Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves 90-day trial of license‑plate readers at two county locations
Summary
Ramsey County authorized a 90-day trial of automatic license‑plate reader cameras (ALPR) at two sites on county right-of-way; the sheriff’s office will provide results to the commission before any purchase decision.
The Ramsey County Commission voted to allow installation of automatic license‑plate reader (ALPR) cameras at two locations within county right-of-way for a 90‑day demonstration period.
County highway staff said Flock Safety will install four trial cameras in the area; two of those cameras are on county right-of-way (one on the Wood Rutton Road near a private driveway and the other on County Road 2 east of Elk Drive). Sheriff Lang described the system as license‑plate readers that send notifications when a plate matches a watchlist (for example a stolen vehicle); the cameras do not record speed and will store data accessible by the department via its software.
Commissioners asked about duration and ownership; staff explained the initial installation would be a 90‑day demo and that the county would revisit a purchase decision after reviewing collected data. Commissioners approved the trial period with a motion that authorizes installation for 90 days and returning to the commission for any longer-term agreement.
Why it matters: ALPR systems can aid investigations by providing vehicle movement data, but they raise questions about privacy, data retention and long-term costs. The commission limited the county commitment to a 90‑day trial and recorded a direction to revisit the matter based on sheriff’s findings.
What’s next: The sheriff’s office will monitor and report back to the commission on the trial outcomes and any recommended purchase or policy changes.
Provenance: Discussion and the motion approving the 90‑day trial appear in the transcript beginning at the highway department remarks about Flock Safety and in the subsequent sheriff’s clarifications (transcript timestamps ~00:28:34–00:32:05).
