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DeSoto council approves grant bid for 30 license‑plate cameras after privacy debate
Summary
The council voted 5–1 to authorize filing for a $327,054 state grant to install up to 30 Flock license‑plate cameras, buy a vehicle and hire a task‑force officer; Councilman Ken Waters voted no amid privacy and oversight concerns.
The DeSoto City Council voted 5–1 on May 5 to authorize staff to submit a $327,054 grant application to the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority Task Force to fund license‑plate‑reader cameras, a task‑force officer, a vehicle and drone equipment to address catalytic converter and other vehicle‑related thefts. Council member Perrette Parker moved approval; the measure was seconded and passed after roll call.
Police leadership told the council the grant would pay for about 30 Flock license‑plate cameras positioned to cover major city entrances and exits, a task‑force agent, a vehicle and drone technology. The police chief said the initiative would “cover the entire entrance and exits on the city with LPR Flock cameras” and that the cameras capture vehicle color, type and license plate data rather than facial images. He added the grant requires a 20% local match, which staff calculated as $65,411.
Several council members pressed the chief about privacy protections, data retention, and ongoing maintenance costs. Mayor Pro Tem Crystal Chisholm asked whether data would be shared with other agencies and how long data would be stored; the chief replied an audit log tracks queries and that agencies must sign on to share or mine data. Council member Deborah North requested details on safeguards and recourse if the vendor or staff misused data; the chief said the system logs access and that misuse could be audited and disciplined.
Council member Ken Waters cast the lone dissenting vote, saying he was uncomfortable with a broad deployment of cameras and the potential effect on residents’ privacy: “If you’re gonna do 30 Flock cameras, I cannot support that,” he said. Supporters argued the cameras would focus on major corridors and help trace vehicles that enter the city, aiding investigations where mobile evidence is needed.
Council instructions and staff comments indicated recurring maintenance and replacement costs would be addressed through future budget requests, recurring grant applications and, when appropriate, federal forfeiture or equitable sharing funds. The council asked the police department to provide follow‑up reporting on effectiveness and cost projections.
