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Richmond County delays decision on Warsaw’s license-plate-reading camera, asks for coordination with dispatch
Summary
County supervisors heard a Warsaw Police request to install Flock license-plate-reading cameras at a Warsaw gateway sign but agreed to delay approval until the town and law enforcement clarify notification procedures, hours of operation and data-sharing with county dispatch.
A request from the Town of Warsaw to install an automatic license-plate-reader (ALPR) camera on county property drew questions from the Richmond County Board of Supervisors on March 12, and the board agreed to delay granting permission until officials clarify how alerts and data would flow to county dispatch.
County staff summarized the proposed setup, saying the system would "read license plates and not people," and that the town is pursuing grant funds to pay for the cameras. The proposed location is a county parcel outside the technical center where one of Warsaw’s gateway signs sits, and town leaders told staff three other cameras are planned on non-county property.
Supervisors raised concerns about operational details that they said must be resolved before the county signs a property license agreement. Those included who receives an alert when a listed plate is detected, what hours the system would run, whether automatic alerts would create ongoing work for county dispatch, and whether notifications would be routed through the town or directly to county public-safety staff.
"I do think that it's an extra set of eyes because you can't be there," the county administrator said, while also noting that the arrangement could place "an extra burden on our dispatches." Board members asked staff to follow up with the Warsaw lieutenant who proposed the cameras and to clarify the notification and staffing plan before the county authorizes installation on county-owned property.
The board’s decision was procedural: supervisors voted to wait for more information rather than to approve or deny the town’s request. The matter was tabled for follow-up and will return to the board after town and law-enforcement representatives provide details on operations and data handling.
Next steps: County staff will contact Warsaw and the proposing law-enforcement representative to gather written details about hours, alert routing and any agreements for who responds to notifications. The board said it will revisit the request at a future meeting once those items are clarified.
