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Resident urges pause on LPR cameras; police chief defends use for investigations
Summary
A Lenoir City resident asked council to pause use of Flock automated license‑plate readers over privacy concerns; the police chief described restricted access, 30‑day data windows and cases where LPRs aided recoveries and investigations.
A resident, Steven Dunbar, told the Lenoir City Council on Aug. 10 that automated license‑plate‑reader cameras used by the police risked infringing on constitutional privacy rights and urged the council to remove or pause their use until stricter safeguards and public input are in place.
"Safety should never come at the expense of our fundamental freedoms, including the 4th Amendment," Dunbar said, asking the council to "remove these cameras or at the very least pause the use until there is greater transparency, stronger safeguards, and meaningful public input." The comment came during the meeting's public‑comment period.
Police Chief (identified in the record as the chief of police) responded with details about the department's LPR program, saying his department deployed nine cameras since 2021, positions them mainly in school zones and high‑traffic corridors, and limits database access to a small number of investigators. He said the system stores data only for a short window and is used primarily as an investigative tool.
"LPR technology is not about facial recognition. There is no ability for LPR technology to capture a facial recognition," the chief said, and described two examples where the technology aided investigations: a 2024 Walmart incident solved in about seven days and a vehicle recovery within 30 minutes after a theft. He said the department uses the vendor Flock and that the vendor does not sell the data.
Council members asked about oversight and who may access the database. The chief said there are audit trails, limited investigator access and training, and that alerts are available to all personnel in the network for hits on stolen or missing vehicles. One council member noted civilian‑review models used in other jurisdictions and asked whether Lenoir City could adopt similar safeguards; the chief said the department welcomes regulation and stressed the department's need to prioritize limited personnel resources.
The discussion did not produce an immediate policy change; the chief and council said they will follow state legislation and any future statutory limits on the technology.
