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Privacy concerns stall council approval of county agreement for license‑plate readers

City of South Lyon City Council · November 25, 2025

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Summary

Council began debating whether to approve Oakland County Road Commission’s agreement for two license‑plate‑reader (LPR) cameras on county roads in South Lyon; Council member Bogart moved to deny the agreement citing privacy and potential misuse, while the Police Chief said LPRs aid investigations and missing‑person searches. No final vote is recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.

South Lyon’s police department asked the council to approve the Road Commission for Oakland County’s agreement to install two license‑plate‑reader (LPR) cameras on county‑maintained roads within the city. The equipment was included in the police department’s FY25‑26 budget and the agreement lays out placement and use requirements.

Council member Bogart moved to deny the county agreement, saying she has concerns about privacy and insufficient safeguards. Bogart said "Flock cameras collect license plates from every vehicle that passes the camera" and also capture vehicle make, color and model; she warned of documented abuses and pending lawsuits in other municipalities and cited potential Fourth Amendment issues and freedom‑of‑information burdens.

The Police Chief responded that the cameras would serve as an investigative tool and aid missing‑person searches. "If someone's missing, we can find out where the last place their car was," the chief said, noting the department can query regional camera networks to trace a vehicle. The motion to deny was on the floor and discussion continued; the transcript excerpt does not record a final vote.