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Kendall County authorizes Flock Safety license‑plate readers after privacy debate; vote 3–2
Summary
Following debate about data privacy and vendor litigation, Kendall County Court approved a time‑limited license allowing Flock Safety to place license‑plate‑reader cameras in county rights‑of‑way as part of a MVCPA grant. Supporters including the sheriff cited solved cases; opponents raised retention and data‑sharing concerns. The motion passed 3–2.
Kendall County Commissioners Court voted on Oct. 14 to approve a license agreement with Flock Safety Group that allows placement of license‑plate‑reader (LPR) cameras in county rights‑of‑way, a necessary step to implement a recently accepted Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority grant. The agreement is limited in duration (staff drafted an 18‑month maximum with a 30‑day termination provision) and includes indemnification and data‑use provisions added by county counsel.
Several commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about privacy, data retention and media reports about Flock's business practices and litigation. Commissioner Carpenter said he shared articles with the sheriff and that the court should "keep a close eye on how this goes." In response, the sheriff outlined multiple cases where LPR data had aided investigations, citing recoveries of stolen construction equipment, hit‑and‑run identification and other property crimes; when asked whether he supported the program going forward, he said, "100%." County counsel said contracts contain specific limits on data use and indemnification language to protect the county.
The motion to approve the license agreement and grant‑project implementation passed by recorded vote 3–2, with the County Judge, Commissioner McCall and Commissioner Carpenter voting in favor and Commissioners Wiesgen and Chapman opposed. Staff said the initial deployment will be funded by the MVCPA grant and that any subsequent extensions or ongoing costs would be brought back to the court for approval.
