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Kootenai County approves one‑year Motorola license‑plate‑reader contract after heated public debate
Summary
After hours of public comment and an extended exchange between the sheriff and commissioners, the Kootenai County Board approved a one‑year contract with Motorola for license‑plate reader (ALPR) software, conditioned on county legal review and an addendum about foreign ownership. The vote was 2–1.
Kootenai County commissioners on Dec. 23 approved a one‑year contract with Motorola for license‑plate‑reader (ALPR) software to be used by the sheriff’s office, following more than two hours of public comment and a contentious exchange between the sheriff and at least one commissioner.
Sheriff Robert Norris told the board the county has operated an ALPR program for 16 years and said of the software, "It is a great crime prevention tool. There has been no breach in data." Norris asked the board to continue a program he described as an officer‑safety measure that can alert deputies to stolen vehicles, armed suspects and other immediate hazards.
The contract motion approved by the board was limited to a single year and included two conditions added by the board: (1) county legal review of the contract language and (2) an addendum stating the vendor does not have ownership influence by a Chinese company. The final roll call on the amended motion recorded Commissioner Bill Brooks and Commissioner Metoyer voting yes and Chair Leslie Duncan…
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