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Kenmore police say city uses state-regulated photo-enforcement cameras, not Flock license-plate readers
Summary
Chief Brandon Moen told a Kenmore podcast that the city's automated photo-enforcement devices are traffic-safety cameras reviewed by staff days after an event and are distinct from Flock-style license-plate readers; citations go to the registered owner and do not go on a driving record.
Kenmore Police Chief Brandon Moen on a local podcast clarified that Kenmore's automated traffic cameras are a state-regulated photo-enforcement program focused on traffic safety — not Flock license-plate readers used by some agencies to track vehicles.
Moen said the city's system is operated as an engineering program, with police reviewing potential violations after the fact. "By the time I see that violation in our queue it can be 3 days, 7 days, to 10 days later," he said, adding that the system is "nowhere near live" and is reviewed for traffic-safety enforcement only.
Moen distinguished those cameras from LPR (license-plate reader) systems such as Flock, which he described as solar-powered units that record plates and can be queried to find vehicles entering or leaving an area. "Flock is a whole different thing...they're just recording license plates," he said, noting that agencies using LPRs can get alerts for stolen vehicles or Amber/Silver Alerts and can ask the company to search footage to help solve crimes.
On how citations are handled, Moen said automated photo-enforcement notices are issued to the registered owner of the vehicle and are "really what it is, like a parking ticket." He said state law prevents taking a front-facing photo of a driver, so the ticket is mailed to the owner and does not go on the owner's driving record, though unpaid fines could affect registration or go to collections.
Moen advised residents with questions about signage, flashing lights or specifics of the program to contact Kenmore's engineering department; he named the city traffic engineer Tobin as the staff member running the program and said the city's website includes detailed information and the option to view the referenced video.
Moen acknowledged that federal access to LPR data has made Flock-style systems controversial in some places, but reiterated that Kenmore's photo-enforcement operates under state rules and is intended for traffic safety review, not continuous location surveillance.
The city uses a red-light camera at 61st and Bothell Way, Moen said, and that system's video can show the driver's action, which is important for red-light violations. For more information, Moen urged listeners to consult the city website and contact engineering if they have program-specific questions.
