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Martinsville police defend Flock license‑plate reader, cite cases and audit controls
Summary
Police Chief Manley told the Martinsville Common Council the Flock license‑plate reader flags expired plates, warrants and alerts, citing 393 investigative uses in May and examples including theft, narcotics and recovered missing persons while staff described internal audit trails and vendor data limits.
Chief Timothy Manley told the Martinsville Common Council on June 8 that the department’s Flock automated license‑plate reader (LPR) system is an investigative and alert tool, not a general surveillance instrument, and described how officers use it in cases ranging from petty theft to missing‑person recoveries.
"Flock is a database. It's an automatic plate, license plate reader," Manley said, describing how the cameras read plates and flag officers for issues such as expired registrations, warrants and AMBER or Silver alerts. He said the department also uses an investigative search feature to filter by vehicle description and partial plates to help locate suspects.
Manley told the council that officers used the system’s investigative tool 393 times in May and offered examples in which LPR hits helped trace vehicles linked to thefts and a multi‑month narcotics investigation. He said the system also assisted in recovering children and an endangered adult who were located after other agencies issued alerts.
Council members raised privacy and data‑retention questions. A city staff member said the city does not control what the vendor retains; Manley said the department maintains an audit trail that records officer searches and can be reviewed to detect inappropriate use. "We have an audit trail for anything," the staff member said, adding that internal logs show which officer pressed which button and why.
Manley said the city shares access with the county and neighboring jurisdictions and can follow a flagged vehicle through multiple cameras statewide during investigations. He characterized the system as a tool that makes investigators more efficient and said the department is prepared to answer resident questions about how it is used.
The council did not take action on the briefing; Manley offered to provide additional information to any members or constituents who request details about retention policies or vendor practices.
