Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Clair Shores approves 12 license‑plate reader cameras; police policy to precede use
Summary
The council approved a five‑year contract with Flock Safety for 12 license‑plate reader cameras, funded from drug‑forfeiture funds. Council members pressed for strict access controls and a final department policy before the system is activated; vote was 5‑0.
St. Clair Shores City Council approved a five‑year contract April 7 with Flock Safety for the purchase, installation and use of 12 license‑plate reader (LPR) cameras, with first‑year costs of $43,800 and annual fees of $36,000 for years two through five.
Chief Jason Allen told the council the system would “read, give notifications of stolen vehicles, missing people that are associated with vehicles” and store still images of license plates and vehicle descriptions for 30 days. “If we need to access that information, it’s there for us. If it’s not utilized, we never see it and then it’s just purged from the system,” he said. He said the city will pay subscription and installation fees out of drug‑forfeiture funds, which the department and staff consider an allowable use.
Council members sought limits on access, retention and disclosure. Council member Karen said policy language under review would make clear that images and data are retained only as case‑related evidence and that access would be restricted and tracked. “It’s not a generic ‘we’re just gonna save all the data for this month,’” Karen said. Council member Vitale emphasized the cameras are intended as an investigative tool for human‑initiated cases, not an automated enforcement system: “These aren’t speed cameras. These aren’t license‑plate expiration date cameras or anything like that. This is all detective level.”
Council members also asked about discovery and disclosure in criminal cases. A city official present said that, under discovery rules, evidence used by prosecutors would be shared with defense counsel as required by law.
The council moved to approve a five‑year contract with Flock Safety for the installation and use of 12 cameras, totaling $43,800 for year one and $36,000 per year for years two through five, and to approve the corresponding purchase order. Council member Rebello moved the motion; Council member Frederick seconded. The motion passed 5‑0.
Chief Allen said staff circulated a draft department policy in advance of the meeting and would incorporate council feedback; he said the final policy will be in place before the cameras are activated. Council members asked for periodic reports on operational outcomes and examples of cases in which the system aided investigations.
Chief Allen and other speakers noted many neighboring jurisdictions use the same vendor and that St. Clair Shores’ access to a regional system will diminish without a subscription. Council members said the city’s policy work should address access controls, retention limits, audit trails and procedures for lawful disclosure.
Funding and schedule: staff said cameras could be installed in about two months after contract execution and policy finalization.
