Police official defends Flock license‑plate reader; town to limit external real‑time access

A police official gave a presentation on the town’s use of the Flock license‑plate reader system and defended its capabilities and limits. The official said the system is vehicle‑focused and has been used to find missing people — including dementia patients — and to locate suspects. To address privacy concerns and controversies elsewhere, the official said the town will execute a new contract that forbids real‑time sharing of license‑plate data with outside agencies; outside agencies may still request searches through a formal process with audit records.

On system capabilities and retention the official said the cameras do not perform facial recognition, do not record audio, do not collect cell‑phone or Wi‑Fi signals, and retain images for seven days before deletion. The official acknowledged community concerns and controversies in other jurisdictions and said misuse would lead to disciplinary action and contract termination.

"They are literally only license plate readers and the images are only kept for seven days," the police official said. The official added that if the vendor or any member of his staff violated contract terms or law, he would be among the first to end the arrangement.