Captain Mark Albaum of the Rhode Island State Police asked the Town Council to allow installation of a Flock Safety automatic license‑plate reader on the Bristol side of the Mount Hope Bridge, saying the system provides automated plate recognition, real‑time alerts and “advanced analytics” to aid investigations. He told the council the state police will cover the $3,000 annual cost during a three‑year trial period and will operate under a stringent policy and memoranda of understanding. (Captain Mark Albaum.)

The proposal drew a lengthy question‑and‑answer period. Council members asked who would own and access the data, how long images and plate reads would be retained, whether the system could be used for immigration enforcement, and how future software or capability upgrades would be communicated back to the town.

Bristol Police Chief (Chief) — who previously supported a one‑year pilot in 2022 — joined the presentation and urged strong transparency and local controls. He said the town’s earlier pilot was limited, that location disclosure helped public trust, and that “this data is not permanently stored; after 30 days, if it has no investigative purpose, it is no longer held.” (Chief.)

Several council members said they were sympathetic to the cameras’ role in locating stolen vehicles, Amber Alerts and other serious crimes but were not comfortable voting without first reviewing written safeguards. Councilmember concerns included the potential for interstate data sharing, the level of access granted to outside agencies, and how any future capability changes would be governed.

On a motion, the council unanimously voted to continue consideration of the state police’s request to the council’s December 10 meeting and to ask the state police to provide a finalized system policy and a memorandum of understanding that specifies: system scope, training and user permissions, retention and deletion standards, auditing and access logs, and conditions for any data sharing with other agencies. The vote leaves open the possibility of future approval once the requested documents are reviewed publicly.

What’s next: The council asked the state police to deliver a written policy and MOU in advance of the Dec. 10 meeting so members and the public can review the proposed limits and oversight mechanisms before the council takes a final vote.