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Mankato council opens public comment period on license-plate‑reader plan
Summary
The Mankato City Council approved a resolution March 24 to open a public comment period on proposed public‑safety technology upgrades, including activating license plate readers and related software; council members and staff emphasized transparency and privacy safeguards.
MANKATO, Minn. — The Mankato City Council voted March 24 to open a public comment period on proposed public‑safety technology upgrades, including activating license plate readers (LPRs) and related artificial‑intelligence features in the city’s Axon camera system.
City staff presented a draft policy and public engagement plan and said the Every Voice online comment page will open at 8:30 a.m. the morning after the vote. Director Clifton told the council the hardware and software already exist in the city’s systems but have not been activated: “If the resolution passes, it'll be open and ready for open comment beginning tomorrow morning at 08:30AM.”
Council members and staff framed the action as a transparency step rather than a requirement. The draft packet includes a proposed Mankato Department of Public Safety policy, background on the technology and citations to Minnesota law that govern LPR use. Staff also noted a vendor system called FLOC is under consideration and included information on other Minnesota agencies that have adopted similar technology.
Council discussion focused on privacy, retention, accountability and redress for misuse. Councilmember Mettler said transparency and clear answers are essential: “The biggest questions I'm getting is what's gonna prevent police officers or anybody involved from misusing the system. So I think that's, you know, obviously, something we want to put in our frequently asked questions portion.” Councilmember McLaughlin asked that materials emphasize the section of state law that provides penalties for unauthorized acquisition or use of LPR data, and asked staff to add guidance on how a resident would file a complaint if they believed the policy had been violated.
City staff said the Every Voice page will include the full packet, a frequently asked questions section and contact information for staff who can answer follow‑up questions. The council also discussed using third‑party review mechanisms similar to those employed for body‑worn camera evaluations.
The council approved the resolution authorizing the public comment period by roll call vote. The Every Voice comment page will accept submissions during the public comment window before the council takes further action on activating the technology.
