Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Surveillance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sheriff's office seeks right-of-way permits for license-plate cameras in Ammon
Summary
Bonneville County Sheriff's Office presented the Flock license-plate camera system to the Ammon City Council on May 14, saying the system captures vehicle plates and characteristics (not facial recognition), stores data for 30 days, and will be deployed at city entry points; the county will request right-of-way permits and cover costs.
The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office asked the Ammon City Council on May 14 for right-of-way permits to install Flock license-plate camera "bundles" at several city entry points, saying the system captures rear license plates and vehicle details but not facial recognition and that stored data is retained for 30 days and is accessible only for criminal investigations.
Lt. Josh Fielding described the system and told council members that the camera "bundles" combine a license-plate detector with a live-feed camera mounted on a pole and oriented to capture rear plates as vehicles leave the camera location. He said the system records vehicle color, make and model, and logs who accesses the data. "It doesn't have facial recognition," Fielding said, adding that access is tied to active investigations and that the Sheriff's Office tracks search activity.
Council President Scott Wessel asked whether the department planned countywide deployment and whether Ammon would be asked to contribute to costs. Sheriff Holtz said the system will be deployed across the county, the City of Idaho Falls already uses Flock, and that the Sheriff's Office is covering the system's costs; the county is asking only for a right-of-way permit from Ammon.
Fielding identified proposed Ammon locations at Chasewood and Curlew, Sunnyside and Ammon, and John Adams Parkway and South Curlew (the roundabout) and said the agency will place cameras near city limits so they capture vehicles entering and exiting. He also said Flock will relocate cameras at no cost if the city requests changes. The Sheriff's Office plans to use a live camera at a designated safe-exchange location to support custody exchanges, an added safety measure Fielding said has been popular in other jurisdictions.
The presentation did not result in an immediate council vote; City Attorney Scott Hall responded to a question about placing equipment in the city's right-of-way by saying the city can authorize permitted uses. The Sheriff's Office said it will submit the formal right-of-way permit request to Ammon for consideration.
Next steps: the Sheriff's Office will file the right-of-way permit request and the council will consider it at a future meeting. The transcript does not record a date for a vote or a final decision on the permit.
