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Police chief describes cases where license-plate readers aided investigations
Summary
Police Chief Darin Adams told Cedar City Council the Flock system supplied plate data that helped detectives find suspects in multiple burglaries, a structure arson, stolen vehicles and other investigations, while stressing the cameras are one investigative tool and require follow-up work.
Police Chief Darin Adams told Cedar City Council that Cedar City’s license‑plate‑reader (LPR) deployment has helped detectives develop investigative leads in several recent cases. During an explanation of Flock Safety’s technical and procedural safeguards, he provided multiple examples of where a plate or camera image produced an investigative lead that officers were then able to follow up on.
“In the Tropical Smoothie burglary, an officer put this red sedan into the system. The camera … caught the vehicle … We were able to run the plate, determine who the suspect was,” Adams said, describing subsequent detective work that led investigators to execute search warrants and recover evidence. He also described using camera returns on a suspected arson and several hit‑and‑run and stolen‑vehicle recoveries.
Adams emphasized the LPR output does not itself determine guilt: “Like anything with Flock, it's one piece of our entire investigative puzzle that we use. Then there's so much work that goes beyond that as we look to make arrests or to continue our criminal investigation.” He further noted internal audit logs, case-number requirements and a 30‑day retention policy as constraints intended to limit misuse.
Council asked the department to provide additional documentation about audit logs and case metrics as part of the tabling motion on the vendor contract. Adams said audit logs are reviewed regularly and that misuse would be disciplined under state law.
