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DeKalb police report 183 Flock LPR cameras; chief outlines real-time crime center plans
Summary
DeKalb County Police told the IRPS committee the county has 183 Flock license-plate reader cameras (146 active, ~80% installed), is awaiting GDOT permits for state-route installs, and plans to expand into a real-time crime center with more LPR and pan‑tilt‑zoom cameras.
DeKalb County commissioners received an update on the county's license-plate reader (LPR) camera deployment and broader surveillance strategy during the IRPS committee meeting.
Chief Padrick of the DeKalb County Police Department told the committee the county currently has 183 Flock LPR cameras in its inventory and that about 146 of them are in service — roughly 80 percent of the total. He said cameras listed as "pending" are on state routes and require Georgia Department of Transportation approval, while cameras on county routes are up and operational.
The chief summarized program costs: an annual subscription now priced at $3,000 per camera (a recent increase from $2,500) and a one-time installation fee of $650 per camera. He said the department has recorded about five repair incidents, mostly caused by traffic accidents with one confirmed vandalism case.
Commissioner Ted Terry and other members pressed on future installations. Chief Padrick described plans to scale beyond LPRs into a real-time crime center that would integrate LPR data with pan‑tilt‑zoom (PTZ) cameras and other video systems. "We wanna go much bigger, not just with LPR, but what they call, PTZ, which is the pan tilt zoom," he said, adding the goal is to provide operational situational awareness to officers before they arrive on scene.
Terry raised concerns about street racing and intersection takeovers and asked whether perimeter coordination with neighboring counties would improve responses. Padrick said the Flock database provides in-county alerts when a wanted person or a BOLO hits a camera but that hits just across county lines do not always trigger the same automatic alert; he highlighted that agency-to-agency communication is an important part of cross-jurisdiction response.
Commissioner Patrick asked about district-specific counts and whether regular (non-LPR) video cameras or trailer-mounted platforms were part of plans; the chief said a full buildout could increase LPR cameras to over 250 and add roughly 100 PTZ cameras, and noted the county currently operates two surveillance trailer platforms and plans to acquire more.
No formal board action was taken on the camera program at this meeting; commissioners asked for continued updates as the department develops the real-time crime center and identifies installations that may require additional district funding or community outreach.
What's next: staff said they would continue GDOT permitting work for state-route installations and return with more detailed plans and placement information for commissioners and constituents.
