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Cass County to hold public meetings as sheriff begins FLOCK license‑plate reader pilot in three towns
Summary
The Cass County Sheriff's Office plans to install six license‑plate readers and four zoom cameras in outlying communities as part of a $30,000 FLOCK system purchase; the sheriff's office will hold local public meetings before installation.
Sheriff Johnner briefed the commission on the county’s FLOCK license‑plate reader (LPR) pilot and said the county intends to hold public meetings in municipalities where cameras would be sited before installations begin.
The county purchase totaled $30,000 and included six license‑plate readers and four point‑tilt‑zoom cameras. The sheriff described a planned perimeter approach for the metro area and said the first public meeting was scheduled that evening in Horace; other proposed locations included Castleton and Harwood. The county intends to place two LPR units at each site to capture vehicles “coming and going,” and each unit is solar powered, the sheriff said.
The sheriff said the county does not plan to operate a live monitoring “real‑time crime center” and characterized the system as an investigative tool that can alert officers by email or phone when a plate or vehicle description matches information entered by investigators. The sheriff said the city of Fargo already uses 21 Falcon LPRs and five point‑tilt cameras and that West Fargo operates 17 LPRs.
Commissioners asked about retention and public records. The sheriff said the system is “subject to all of our laws” but did not specify a retention period during the meeting. County staff said the installation would be cost‑free to host cities, as units are solar and the vendor assists with installation; officials said they planned to present the program publicly to municipal leaders and residents before placing equipment on local property.
The commission did not take formal action during the briefing. The sheriff’s office said it has advertised the Horace meeting and will present public materials about how the LPR system is used for missing persons and stolen vehicle investigations.
