Sheriff's office defends Flock license-plate cameras, proposes limits on outside data sharing

A Sheriff's Department representative presented the town's use of Flock license-plate readers and defended the system amid community concerns about privacy and misuse.

The presenter described several uses of the system, saying it had helped deputies find people with dementia and locate suspects, and emphasized technical limits. "They only image license plates. They are incapable of doing facial recognition. They are incapable of recording audio," the Sheriff's Department representative said, and added that images are retained for seven days before deletion.

Acknowledging controversies in other jurisdictions, the presenter said he and Chief Smith planned to change the contract to prohibit real-time license-plate data sharing with outside agencies, while retaining the ability to respond to formal requests from other departments with audit trails. "We're going to execute a new contract that forbids sharing of license plate data real time license plate data outside law enforcement agencies," he said.

The presenter also said the department audits use daily and that any deputy who abuses the system would be fired. He described the cameras as "the most impressive valuable law enforcement tool I've ever seen in my 25 year career," but said he would remove the system if it violated public trust.

Councilors asked questions and raised privacy concerns, but did not vote on the matter at the meeting; the department indicated a policy change would be implemented through a revised contract.