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Council defends Flock license‑plate cameras; police cite arrests and investigative hits
Summary
After residents raised privacy and cost concerns, Police Chief Ty told the Rangely council the entry/exit Flock cameras (installed mid‑last year) cost $9,000 annually on a two‑year contract, store data in‑house with a 30‑day purge, and have produced dozens of investigative leads; council agreed to review the contract at budget time and keep the cameras in place for now.
Police Chief Ty told the Rangely Town Council and residents that the town’s Flock license‑plate cameras were installed in June of last year and that the town pays $9,000 a year under a two‑year contract. "We pay $9,000 a year for those cameras," Ty said, adding the system is audited and data is purged after 30 days unless a case requires retention.
Resident Caleb Packer asked whether the cameras create legal risks or enable dragnet surveillance. "Is there any concerns with 4th Amendment rights, dragnet surveillance, you know, profiles being created and stored off‑site?" Packer asked. Ty responded that the cameras capture rear plates at town entry points, do not perform facial recognition and generate a call‑for‑service number for every search so that access is auditable. He said the department does not share data with federal immigration agencies and that sharing with other law‑enforcement agencies is controlled by policy and contract.
Ty provided use statistics the department compiled since installation: more than 92 hits (not including registered‑offender notifications), about 35 warrant hits, 22 stolen plates, four incidents tied to no insurance or driver’s license, and other investigative assists. "If an alert comes in on a [wanted] person, we get a notification and can begin investigating," Ty said.
Several residents and council members raised cost and scope concerns. One resident questioned whether the town is paying to help other jurisdictions, and another asked what happens to people who pass through Rangely after a hit. Council members said the tool has produced local investigatory value — for example, Ty and others described instances where Flock intelligence assisted cross‑jurisdictional investigations — but agreed the contract would be reviewed during the upcoming budget process. Until that review, the council said the cameras will remain in service and the town will continue to accept public input on policy and oversight.
