Exeter council endorses state-led deployment of Flock license-plate cameras on Route 165 and Route 102

Exeter’s Town Council voted to approve a Rhode Island State Police request allowing grant-funded Flock license-plate recognition cameras at two state-road locations, after a presentation that emphasized investigative benefits and data security measures.

Captain Mark Albaum described a three-year, grant-funded deployment of automatic license-plate readers that he said will generate real-time alerts for AMBER and other law-enforcement hotlists, assist in multi-jurisdiction investigations and, in his words, “maximize investigative efficiency.” He told the council the contract would be between the state police and Flock Technologies and the town would not incur the $3,000-per-camera deployment cost.

Albaum addressed privacy and technical questions from councilors: he said the system records rear-vehicle images and license plates only, retains data for 30 days, and does not perform facial recognition; he also contested public claims that the platform had been widely hacked, saying those reports involved older, unsupported hardware. He said access would be logged and require multi-factor authentication and that the state police would enter a memorandum of understanding governing data sharing.

Councilors asked whether the cameras would be sited on state right-of-way and whether DOT approval was needed; Albaum said the deployment team would coordinate permitting with DOT. After discussion, a motion to endorse the state police deployment and request follow-up documentation (including any DOT approvals or letters of intent) was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Next steps: State police will supply proposed pole placements and any DOT permit materials; the council recorded that the town is not required to execute a contract with Flock and that initial deployment costs are borne by the state police grant.