This Kentucky city has decided to stop using Flock cameras. Here’s why
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- Newport ended its pilot after evaluating results, public feedback, and legal developments.
- Newport cited the Chatrie decision and evolving Fourth Amendment jurisprudence.
- Lexington maintains 125 ALPR cameras and credits them with over 1,900 charges.
The city of Newport in Northern Kentucky has decided to stop using Flock Safety cameras in its community, citing public feedback as one of the reasons for no longer using the cameras.
Flock’s license plate-reading cameras capture multiple images of a vehicle’s license plate along public roads. The photos are then run through law enforcement databases to see if the vehicle is stolen, associated with a warrant or has any other alert.
If the check comes back clean, the images are deleted from the Flock system after a certain amount of time. The cameras are not used for speed or red-light enforcement.
Flock says its cameras have become quite popular among U.S. law enforcement, with more than 5,000 agencies using the technology. But the cameras have also raised concerns regarding privacy and police accountability.
Newport said its police department experimented with the camera program, and it helped officers with criminal investigations. Despite the benefits, Newport citizens still had concerns about privacy, transparency, data retention, oversight and constitutional protections regarding the cameras, which were expressed during a July 8 public town hall involving the police department.
At the end of the pilot program, Newport evaluated the program’s results, public feedback and “recent developments in Fourth Amendment jurisprudence,” and decided to not enroll in a permanent camera program. The city said it will continue to consider investigative technologies for its police department in the future.
“The city’s decision should not be interpreted as opposition to emerging public safety technologies or as a reflection that (Automatic License Plate Readers) lack public safety value,” Newport said in a news release. “The Newport Police Department remains committed to identifying tools that improve public safety and assist criminal investigations while respecting the constitutional rights of residents and visitors.”
Newport said the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Chatrie vs. United States was also a factor in their decision to stop using Flock cameras. In the court case, justices ruled in favor of Chatrie 6-3, supporting Fourth Amendment protections when it comes to the use of geofence warrants in law enforcement, according to the The Guardian.
A geofence warrant gives law enforcement access to cell phone data for anyone who was within range of a crime scene during a specific timeframe. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said these warrants are used to identify potential suspects when investigators don’t have other leads, and often lead to innocent people being investigated.
“While the decision did not directly address (Flock camera) technology, it underscores the importance of carefully evaluating emerging technologies that collect location-based information in light of evolving constitutional standards and community expectations,” Newport said in its news release.
Newport said any use of camera or location-based technology in the future will include opportunities for public feedback.
“The city of Newport remains committed to transparent government, responsible policing and protecting both public safety and constitutional right,” the city said in its news release.
Lexington remains committed to Flock cameras
Lexington participated in Flock’s pilot program in 2022 before fully committing to adding more license-plate reading cameras later that year. Lexington currently has 125 license plate-reading cameras throughout Fayette County.
Lexington police Sgt. Bige Towery said the department remains committed to using license-plate reading cameras and other technology in its efforts to solve crime. The cameras have helped investigators place more than 1,900 criminal charges and find 368 stolen vehicles worth more than $5.5 million, according to police.
“Precision Policing is not only effective, but is also applied in a manner designed to ensure fair and unbiased investigative practices,” Towery said in an email statement to the Herald-Leader. “Our commitment to the rights of the community we serve is demonstrated by the complete transparency of our agency’s operations, including our use of ALPRs.”
All Lexington police officers, investigators and Real-Time Intelligence Center analysts have access to the department’s Flock database, according to police. The database is managed by the department’s special investigations section lieutenant, who is responsible for conducting quarterly audits to ensure it is being used appropriately.
