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Township police defend Flock Safety license-plate cameras as committee, residents press privacy questions
Summary
Montgomery Police presented their Flock Safety automated license-plate reader (ALPR) program — six fixed cameras and one temporary unit — saying it aids investigations and costs about $25,000 a year. Committee members and residents pressed officials about data retention, cloud storage and potential misuse.
Montgomery Township Police Lieutenant Perry gave a detailed presentation on the department's Flock Safety ALPR program, tracing its evolution from a software-only arrangement in December 2022 to the current deployment of six fixed cameras and one movable battery-powered camera. Perry said the lease arrangement and extended retention provisions bring the yearly cost to roughly $25,000, including the vendor's extended data-retention option.
Perry described the system's purpose and safeguards, saying it reads license plates, compares them to lookout lists for stolen vehicles, wanted persons and Amber Alerts, and provides time-stamped images of vehicles (not facial recognition or personal identifying information). "It does not track people," Perry said, and added that any search requires a valid case number, a documented reason and justification.
Committee members probed several privacy and security issues, including allegations of misuse in other jurisdictions. A committee member asked whether the department could limit retention below the three years the current Attorney General policy requires; Perry said retention is set by state policy and cannot be shortened locally. When asked where data are stored, Perry said the vendor maintains cloud storage and the township pays an additional $500 per camera for extended retention, and that vendor approval for state-level use includes review of cloud security practices.
Residents also raised questions during public comment. Cathy Lynch, a member of the Montgomery Environmental Commission, urged caution and cited reported instances where other municipalities disabled cameras after vendor data sharing; "ALPR systems create durable location records about people who are not suspected of anything," she read from a prepared statement and asked whether the township plans to expand camera coverage.
Township attorney and police officials said safeguards include training, multifactor authentication, annual audits and internal-affairs processes for alleged misuse, and that the state police receive audit reports. Perry reiterated: "You have to have a case number, it has to have a valid reason for that search, and then that's all recorded." The police chief and committee members said they view the program as a tool that has aided several investigations and returns for public-safety work, while acknowledging resident concerns about oversight and vendor practices.
The committee did not take further action on the ALPR program at this meeting; officials said they would provide follow-up information to residents who asked about audit frequency and other specifics.
