Edmond approves prorated contract for mobile license-plate-reader trailer; police emphasize safeguards

The Edmond City Council approved a budget amendment of $34,485.16 to allow the police department to enter a prorated contract for a trailer-mounted license-plate reader camera provided by a vendor the chief referred to as "FLOC." The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.

JD Younger, chief of the Edmond Police Department, told the council the trailer is typically used at large public events and described it as a solar-powered unit with a boom holding cameras and a flashing blue light. “It is…a camera that’s deployed. We intend to use it, at events that have large density,” Younger said, citing local events such as Heard on Heard, Liberty Fest and the recently opened Luminess event as deployment examples.

Younger acknowledged community concerns about such technology and described departmental safeguards and transparency measures. “We have implemented best practices as far as who’s trained to utilize that data, how long that data is retained, and how we track access to that data,” he said. He also pointed to a transparency portal on the police department website where the public can view monthly tag-read counts.

Council discussion was limited and a council member thanked the department for the transparency and thoughtfulness of the proposal. The mayor asked whether any members of the public wished to speak; none signed up. The council then voted to approve the funding to enter the contract for the remainder of the fiscal year, with annual renewals scheduled for May 1.

The item was presented and approved as a funding and contract action; the council did not modify the contract terms on the floor. Councilmembers who asked questions did not propose restrictions beyond the safeguards described by the chief.