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Sheriff outlines new grappler-equipped vehicles and county plans for license-plate reader cameras; commissioners press for strict search policies
Summary
Sheriff Ron Thornton told the board six new patrol vehicles will arrive with grappler pursuit-stopping systems and that the county's Flock license-plate reader camera deployment will cover road entrances. Commissioners asked for strict policies and safeguards about who may search camera data and for what purposes.
Sheriff Ron Thornton updated Clear Creek commissioners on equipment and privacy protections during a Jan. 6 quarterly report.
Thornton said the department is switching vehicle vendors and expects delivery of six cars, including three that will be equipped with a grappler system the sheriff described as a safer alternative to spike strips for ending high-speed pursuits. "It's a lot safer way to end pursuits," he said, describing safety features such as an emergency release.
On technology, the sheriff said county staff are finalizing permitting with CDOT for Flock license-plate reader cameras and that the county's plan will cover entrances to the county's roads and highway access points. He said alerts will be configured primarily for warrants, stolen vehicles, attempts to locate and stolen plates, and that staff are drafting strict search and data-sharing policies. "Our alerts are set on warrants, stolen vehicles, attempts to locate...if those are the four things that will get an alert on our phones," Thornton said.
Commissioners raised privacy and security concerns: one called for explicit policies limiting searches and defining with whom the county will share camera data; another cited published security concerns about camera systems and asked how the county will protect access. Thornton said the vendor and the county maintain defenses and that only approved law-enforcement partners with accounts will be able to request access; he acknowledged no system is 'hack-proof.
The board discussed next steps including reviewing the proposed access/search policy before activation and scheduling a meeting with utility representatives about recent public-safety power shutoffs and their community impacts.
Ending: Staff will circulate the draft camera-search policy and the sheriff's office will schedule briefings for the board before broader camera deployment.
