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Provo police describe Flock license‑plate reader program; officials stress audits, 30‑day retention
Summary
Flock Safety and Provo police presented the automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) program, citing solved cases and a transparency portal; councilors pressed for details on audits, national lookups and retention policies. City staff said officers conduct monthly audits and the city sets a 30‑day retention period.
Provo City officials and a Flock Safety representative outlined how the city’s automated license‑plate reader program works and how the department limits and audits access to the data.
Lily Ho, public affairs manager for Flock Safety, told the council the system uses fixed cameras mounted on municipal poles to capture rear‑of‑vehicle photos and associated metadata and that list‑based searches can be run against NCIC, NCMEC and locally created “hot lists.” She said images and metadata are stored on AWS GovCloud and that Flock holds certifications including CJIS and SOC 2; she emphasized customers control retention and sharing settings and pointed to a transparency portal that shows recent searches and audit logs.
Captain Robert Patrick (Provo Police Department) and Chief Beebe described operational safeguards and monthly internal audits. Captain Patrick said searches require a case number and a stated reason and that the department reviews a sample of searches monthly to confirm compliance with the city policy. Chief Beebe said the department has the ability to opt into a national‑lookup program so Provo officers can search LPR captures nationwide and likewise allow other participating agencies to search Provo data; he said external searches are auditable and visible to Provo staff.
Councilors pressed staff on several specifics. Councilor Whitlock asked about technical protections; staff said the system requires multifactor authentication and that Flock provides third‑party audit documentation for security patches. Councilor Whitlock and others confirmed the city’s retention policy is 30 days by default and that the city can customize that setting. Heather Perkins (911 manager) and other staff described internal processes for tracking searches and case associations on the transparency page.
Supporters and presenters cited solved cases — including hit‑and‑run and child‑recovery examples — as reasons the system aids investigations without replacing officers. Presenters said the system’s “vehicle fingerprint” search can narrow investigations when plates are missing or partially known. Staff also noted limitations they impose: searches must be tied to investigations, audit logs are permanent, and the city can revoke external access.
The council did not take formal action on the ALPR briefing; staff recommended members review the transparency portal and security documentation and said the department would continue monthly audits and make audit evidence available to council staff.
