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Company pitches license-plate camera network to Shelbyville; council to review contract
Summary
Flock Safety told Shelbyville council staff it can deploy a 15-camera network to help police investigations and provide near-real-time alerts; company quoted $36,000 per year for 12 cameras and a one-year contract with a 60-day, risk-free opt-out. Council asked staff to circulate the contract and bring the item to a future meeting.
Will Pepper, a representative of Flock Safety, told the Shelbyville mayor and city council at a study session on Oct. 1 that his company has been trialing license-plate reader cameras in town and proposes a citywide network to assist police. Pepper said the proposal would place 15 ‘‘Falcon’’ cameras across Shelbyville, with 12 locations mapped under police direction and three already operating in another area. "Each one of these cameras is like hiring an officer for $3,000 per year," Pepper said, framing the system as a force multiplier for the department.
Pepper described how the technology captures full images of vehicles, enabling investigators to search by vehicle attributes when witnesses give partial descriptions. He said Flock’s network alerts jurisdictions in near real time and pointed to local cases the company says it helped solve. On data management, Pepper said camera footage is retained for 30 days and then "washed," and he told the council that "you own your data" and that the company does not sell it to third parties. He also said the standard contract term is one year and that the agreement includes a 60-day risk-free opt-out period after the first camera is installed.
Council members asked questions about contract length, budget treatment and data security. Staff indicated the city could fund operations from fund balance, equipment funds or other designated accounts and that grant funding and matching requirements may apply for related grant projects. Pepper handed a copy of the company contract to staff for distribution. City staff said they will circulate the contract to council members and place the item on the business meeting agenda for formal consideration and potential vote.
What’s next: Staff will distribute the Flock Safety contract to council members for review and place the proposal on an upcoming business meeting agenda so the council can consider funding and any required grant or procurement steps.
Note: The article reports statements and cost estimates as presented at the Oct. 1 study session; the city has not yet voted on the proposal.
