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Council hears about vehicle thefts in Furnas Forge; members consider license-plate 'Flock' camera
Summary
Councilman Cummins reported recent vehicle thefts in Furnas Forge and relayed sheriff’s comments that a group is using a master key fob purchased online to steal unlocked cars; Councilman Lacy described Flock Camera license-plate–capture systems and said he would investigate costs for local installation.
Council members discussed recent reports of vehicle thefts in the Furnas Forge neighborhood and a possible license-plate camera to aid law enforcement.
Councilman Cummins said, referencing information from the sheriff’s department, that there has been at least one vehicle stolen in Furnas Forge in the last two months and that "there is a group of young people, driving a white, small foreign car running around looking for unlocked vehicles and using a master key fob purchased from Amazon to steal the vehicles." Cummins said he would meet with JWCI the next day regarding an engineering study for drainage but also flagged the policing concern.
Councilman Lacy described a system called "Flock Camera" that captures license plates passing by cameras and automatically forwards captured plate data to law-enforcement agencies; he recommended investigating costs for installation at entrances to Furnas Forge and along the bike path. Council discussed this option and Lacy said he would investigate the system and associated costs.
Why it matters: recurring vehicle thefts threaten residents’ property and sense of security; automated plate-reading cameras raise privacy and policing questions and require cost assessment and possible interagency coordination with county law enforcement.
No contract or formal action was taken; Councilman Lacy will investigate the Flock Camera system and report back.
