Selectmen debate and reject cutting funding for license‑plate readers after department says cameras help recover stolen vehicles

Selectmen debated whether to remove $12,000 from the police department’s contract with Flock, the vendor supplying license‑plate reader (LPR) cameras, and ultimately voted not to cut the funding.

Lieutenant David Furland and other police leaders described LPRs as a critical investigative tool: "They are a force multiplier, giving us more opportunity to stop things from coming into our community and when they do happen in our community to stop them from leaving," the chief’s office said during the discussion. Officers cited early alerts for stolen vehicles, stolen‑car crews traveling through jurisdictions, Amber‑alert assistance and other investigative uses.

Opponents of the contract argued the devices raise privacy and civil‑liberty concerns and noted pending state legislation and public scrutiny of commercial surveillance networks. One selectman proposed a $12,000 line‑item cut; after discussion and a second, the motion failed on a voice vote. Police leaders emphasized restrictions in place: the department limits searches to within‑state agents, does internal audits of use, and said data access steps are designed to comply with Connecticut’s Trust Act and other legal constraints.

Transcript notes indicate the department maintains four fixed LPR units and additional vehicle‑mounted readers; the recurring cost in the department budget was identified at roughly $12,000 per year for the town’s current stationary cameras (roughly $3,000 per camera annually). Selectmen asked for continued reporting on policies, audits and any legal developments affecting data sharing.