Police report credits license-plate cameras and special response team with case closures

Justin, who was asked to brief the commission, described recent police activity and analytic results tied to the department’s Flock license-plate cameras. He said the cameras (installed in August 2022) capture still images of vehicle rear plates — not continuous video — and are audited monthly to ensure appropriate use. "We use them to locate subjects that are wanted, from time to time," Justin said, and he credited the system with investigative efficiencies.

Justin reported that in 2024 the department used Flock to help close 25 cases. He also summarized a pulled data example for August showing roughly 373,000 unique plate reads (the presentation explained that the system records many reads per vehicle and that monthly totals vary with large events such as DSU concerts or the Egg Bowl). Monthly raw plate-read totals were described as much higher than the number of distinct vehicles due to repeated reads of the same plates. The department keeps statistics for 30 days and requires officers to log calls-for-service numbers when they run searches.

On specialized capabilities, Justin said the department created a Special Response Team (SRT) about three years ago; the SRT has been activated on three incidents to date (a fourth call resolved before the team arrived). The city recently signed an MOU with surrounding counties for mutual aid; Justin said the SRT and drone capabilities have delivered operational benefits in regional responses.

Commissioners asked about training, search counts and data sharing; Justin said the department conducts cross-training, limits data retention to 30 days for statistics, and shares reads with partner agencies when warranted. No policy changes were adopted in the meeting; Justin invited follow-up questions and said staff would provide additional details on request.