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Police brief council on Flock Safety ALPR cameras, policy and one‑year pilot

Fair Oaks Ranch City Council · July 4, 2025

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Summary

Chief outlined a planned deployment of Flock Safety automated license‑plate readers (9 cameras budgeted), described data retention and access controls, and said the system will operate under a one‑year contract with a cost‑benefit review at term end.

Chief of Police Todd Smith briefed council on the city's planned Flock Safety automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) deployment and the accompanying policy framework. Key points presented:

- Equipment and costs: The FY2024–25 budget included $34,050 for first‑year costs (installation of nine cameras). Estimated ongoing annual costs are approximately $27,000. - Function and limits: The cameras capture rear vehicle images and plate data; the system can match plates to "hot lists" (stolen vehicles, missing persons, wanted vehicles). Chief emphasized the system will not be used for traffic citations, immigration enforcement or behavioral monitoring; it does not perform facial recognition. - Access and governance: Access is restricted to authorized law‑enforcement personnel; officers will receive training; searches are limited (sergeants/lieutenant and CID will conduct searches, patrol officers receive alerts). Monthly audits will be conducted and data is retained 30 days unless retained as evidence for an active investigation. - Public transparency and review: A public transparency portal will show aggregate camera activity and hit counts; staff plans to go live in August after testing and final policy adoption. The deployment is a one‑year contract, after which staff will perform a cost‑benefit analysis and report results to council.

Council members asked about search criteria, thresholds for activation, camera locations and cross‑jurisdictional data sharing; chief and staff explained operational safeguards, the ability to accept hot‑list data via NCIC/TCIC and the need to coordinate alerts with neighboring agencies for fast moving incidents. Council did not take a formal vote on the system at the meeting; the item was presented for review and policy feedback.