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Franklin County approves $4,500 annual service agreement for Flock license-plate reader network
Summary
The Franklin County Commissioners approved a $4,500 annual service agreement to join a Flock automated license-plate reader network that alerts law enforcement to tags tied to entries the county monitors and NCIC records; county staff said the system aided recent recoveries of stolen vehicles and two missing persons.
The Franklin County Commissioners on Oct. 8 approved a $4,500 annual service agreement to participate in a Flock license-plate reader network that county officials said will help law enforcement identify vehicles linked to local safety threats and to entries in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
Chief Deputy Dan Foy described how the system reads license plates and notifies sheriff’s office personnel in real time when a vehicle of interest passes by participating cameras. He said the alerts can be limited to tags the county adds for specific security concerns, and that the system now ties into NCIC so it will notify the county of vehicles associated with serious felony warrants, stolen vehicles, missing persons and AMBER alerts. "We were able to locate that vehicle in Florida, and that person was taken into custody within minutes of it hitting on a flock camera in Florida," Foy said, describing a recent attempted homicide investigation and multi-jurisdictional recovery.
Foy told the board the county gains access to more than $40,000 worth of cameras within the county through the network and that participating municipalities and private entities share feeds, including other counties and nationwide locations. Commissioners confirmed the county’s portion of the service is $4,500 per year. Commissioner (speaker 3) moved to approve the agreement and Commissioner (speaker 1) seconded; the board voted Aye.
The county and law enforcement characterized the system as a tool to assist investigations and protect county employees and officials. No public comment opposing the purchase was recorded during the meeting.
Next steps: the county will execute the service agreement and incorporate the Flock data-sharing arrangements described by sheriff’s staff. The record in the meeting reflects staff statements about the system’s use and prior recoveries; specific operational policies, retention schedules, or privacy safeguards were not discussed on the record at this meeting.
