Newark Council OKs three‑year renewal for automated license‑plate readers, extends data retention

The Newark City Council approved a three‑year renewal Thursday of its contract with Flock Safety for automated license plate reader (ALPR) services and agreed to extend the city’s ALPR data retention window for investigative use.

Police said the fixed and mobile ALPR cameras, which capture still images of license plates at city entry and exit points, have helped recover stolen vehicles and generate leads in major investigations. Captain Julie Macias of the Newark Police Department said officers used the system 536 times last year for investigative follow‑up and credited the technology with 21 stolen‑vehicle recoveries and arrests in a range of crimes.

“Officers have conducted outstanding police work with this technology,” Captain Julie Macias said, adding the cameras do not record video or capture occupants’ faces and that alerts notify officers and dispatch when a wanted plate is observed.

Why it matters: Council members and staff framed the system as a force multiplier for a department that has limited personnel and needs tools to track vehicles leaving crime scenes. Council debate focused on privacy and data‑sharing limits, as well as whether private cameras in the city should be subject to similar rules.

The council approved a sole‑source subscription renewal with Flock Safety for $160,165, paid as $40,165 in year one and $60,000 in years two and three, with staff incorporating a vendor option to increase data storage from 30 days to 365 days at no additional cost to the city. That longer retention, officers and staff said, helps complex multijurisdictional investigations and cases where victims delay reporting.

City Manager Benoon and Police Captain Macias said only authorized, trained users may access ALPR data and that the system logs every access for internal audit. The council asked the city attorney to examine whether homeowners‑association or privately operated ALPR cameras in Newark should be bound by the same disclosure and sharing limits that govern the city’s use of ALPR data.

What the council did: The resolution authorizing the city manager to execute the Flock Safety agreement passed unanimously. Council members asked staff to return with an analysis of whether private ALPR deployments in Newark should be regulated to the same standards.

Context and next steps: The ALPR program began with 20 fixed cameras installed in October 2022 and was expanded in 2023 with six additional fixed cameras, in‑car ALPRs and five mobile units funded through a state grant. Police said the system provides leads in investigations ranging from organized retail theft to homicide and missing‑person cases. The council also directed staff to incorporate the longer retention option into the signed contract and requested legal research on any municipal authority to regulate private camera sharing.

A final contract and informational follow‑up on private‑camera rules will return to the council if legal staff recommend an ordinance or other action.