JONESBORO, Ark. — Jonesboro has expanded its network of Flock license plate readers to 54 cameras, adding at least 10 over the past two years, according to police, who credit the technology with helping locate missing people and investigate serious crimes. But some citizens worry about privacy and the potential for misuse.
The Flock cameras have generated concerns on social media from residents who fear police could use the system to monitor their daily movements. Lt. David McDaniel, who oversees the Jonesboro Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center, said much of the concern stems from misunderstandings about what the cameras capture and how officers access the information.
What Is Flock?
According to FlockSafety.com:
A Flock camera is a license plate reader camera built to identify vehicle details that may help generate investigative leads. That includes the license plate, along with attributes like make, model, color, and other visible characteristics. Flock cameras are not general-purpose surveillance systems designed to identify people. They are built to focus on the vehicle involved in an incident and the details that can help distinguish it from other vehicles on the road.
Flock says a lot of misunderstanding around license plate reader technology comes from assuming the system is trying to collect as much personal information as possible. Flock says they serve a different purpose: to help “surface vehicle evidence,” not to build profiles on individuals.
However, critics like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) say that the Flock system is a quiet effort to “build a nationwide mass surveillance system. If there are Flock cameras in your city, they are tracking, logging, and sharing your movements without a warrant.”
The ACLU has a “Get The Flock Out” campaign page encouraging citizens to oppose their use.
Flock Used Locally
Unlike the devices commonly referred to as “SkyCops,” Flock cameras do not continuously record video. They take still photos.
“They are a different device than what people commonly call ‘SkyCops,’” Jonesboro Chief Administrative Officer Brian Richardson said. “The Flocks are still shots of license plates.”
McDaniel described the image as essentially a photograph of a vehicle’s rear bumper and license plate. The driver generally is not seen.
The cameras are not monitored like a live security feed. Instead, the system records vehicles as they pass and can notify police when a license plate is associated with certain law enforcement records. For example, a person wanted in connection with a homicide in Texas, through the National Crime Information Center, could cause an alert to be sent to Jonesboro if that vehicle passed one of the cameras.
Other alerts may involve stolen vehicles, Silver Alerts, missing or endangered juveniles, people with warrants, protection orders, or registered sex offenders, depending on the information attached to the license plate. JPD can also create its own alerts. If someone allegedly shoplifted from a store and employees provided officers with the getaway vehicle’s license plate, police could enter the number into a custom hot list and be notified if another Flock camera detected it.
Although the cameras capture vehicles driven by people who are not suspected of crimes, McDaniel said those vehicles do not automatically generate alerts.
“As far as the average citizen leaving home and going grocery shopping, we don’t get alerts,” McDaniel said.
Police may not get the alerts, but images of those average citizens are stored and subject to search. The information is retained for 30 days in Jonesboro, according to McDaniel. During that period, an officer can search the system to determine whether a particular vehicle passed a camera.
Flock’s Use
For law enforcement, McDaniel said the information recorded is an invaluable tool. He specifically mentioned how it was used to help return a missing girl to her parents in Jonesboro.
McDaniel said every user must provide a reason for accessing the system. Each search is logged, allowing the department to review who used the system and why.
He said JPD would not tolerate an officer using the cameras for personal reasons, such as tracking a lover or checking a spouse’s license plate.
“Are you going to be an officer with JPD for long if you’re doing that? No,” McDaniel said. “We keep an eye on that.”
However, the ACLU says that the personal information isn’t just searchable by the local department, but rather, “any law enforcement agency with a Flock contract.” They refer to it as a “nationwide database.”
McDaniel said Jonesboro is on a “shared network” that grants access to other law enforcement agencies. No agency, to date, has been refused access, he said. He noted that, should a vehicle flee from Jonesboro to Memphis, JPD officers have access to their Flock cameras, too.
An independent journalist in Georgia found that members of Flock Safety’s sales team also regularly viewed surveillance images. It was reported that Flock’s sales team accessed cameras to demonstrate the technology in sales pitches to police departments around the country. Some of the images were from surveillance tech in areas where children were present. Flock responded and said the city was part of a demo partner program and that, “claims of inappropriate conduct by our employees are false.”
Probable Cause
McDaniel also stressed that a Flock alert alone does not provide probable cause for an officer to stop a vehicle. Officers must first verify that the license plate was read correctly and confirm that the underlying warrant, stolen-vehicle report, or other alert remains valid.
The 54 readers are placed at strategic locations, including entry and exit points around Jonesboro. McDaniel said a significant number of crimes investigated in the city involve people who live elsewhere, travel into Jonesboro, and then leave. Police can use the cameras to determine when a suspected vehicle entered the city, where it was later detected, and when it left.
McDaniel said Flock information was used during the investigative process following a recent homicide in Jonesboro, although he could not elaborate, due to the ongoing investigation. He also said the system helped police locate a missing girl and return her to her parents.
“It’s not nefarious,” McDaniel said. “It’s really a law enforcement tool.”
McDaniel said the system is particularly useful for a busy department attempting to investigate crimes and assist victims with limited personnel.
“For lack of a better term, it’s to catch bad guys,” he said.
Cost
The system has not expanded rapidly, largely because of its cost. McDaniel estimated each camera costs about $3,500 per year. Richardson said Flock operates through an annual service contract that includes the device. Richardson also said several Jonesboro neighborhoods maintain their own contracts with the company.
McDaniel estimated that JPD has added between 10 and 15 readers during the year and a half he has overseen the intelligence center. The city must weigh the potential benefits against the cost, but he remains a proponent of their use.
“I can’t say enough good things about it,” McDaniel said.
After seeing how investigators use the system, McDaniel said he regrets not relying on it more when he worked as a patrol officer.
A poll of NEA Report readers shows that, as of this post, 3/4 of voters do not support the use of Flock surveillance systems.
Flock Locations in Jonesboro
Note: This list represents 49 of the stated 54 locations.
- Joe Mack Campbell @ Harry Dr
- Joe Mack Campbell @ Dan Ave
- Union St @ Burke Ave SB
- Patrick St @ Johnson Ave NB
- Southside Softball Complex @ Caraway Rd
- Miracle League Park entrance
- Links Dr. @ Harrisburg Rd WB
- Stallings Ln @ Red Wolf Blvd WB
- Rook Rd @ Stadium Blvd EB
- Dupwe Dr @ Nettleton SB
- Caraway Rd @ Johnson Ave NB
- Wood St. @ Neely WB
- Shooting Sports Complex NB
- Arrowhead Farm Rd @ Culberhouse St WB
- Floyd St @ Blankenship Rd NB
- Thomas Green Rd @ Church St WB
- Phillips Dr @ Caraway Rd EB
- Prospect Rd @ Airport Rd EB
- Wood St @ College Ave SB
- Aggie Rd @ Marion Berry Pkwy WB
- Aggie Rd @ Airport Rd EB
- Christian Valley Dr @ Mt. Carmel Rd – WB
- Crafts SB @ Highland
- Duckswater St Inbound
- Plantation Estates Dr Inbound
- Ridgepointe Dr Inbound at Woodsprings
- Ridgepointe Dr Inbound at Strawfloor
- Robin Rd Inbound at Nettleton
- Stroud @ Greenbriar
- Thrush Rd Inbound at Nettleton
- Phillips Dr @ Red Wolf Blvd
- Kathleen @ Highland North
- Airport @ Nettleton North
- Culberhouse @ Lawson South
- Loberg @ Matthews North
- Nestle @ CW East
- Caraway @ Greensboro South
- Washington @ Matthews (West Inter)
- Caraway @ Blue Spruce North
- Patrick @ Belt South
- Willow @ Manila South
- Wood @ Amberwood Cv North
- 49 @ 226
- 555 @ Nestle Rd
- 49 @ Clinton School
- 141 @ Philadelphia
- Highland @ Quality Way east and west
- Red Wolf @ Highland NB
- Stadium @ Lawson North
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Im calling BULLSHIT! Listen to the damn scanner and you can learn that whoever is on dispatch can view the cameras from home. This is an invasion of privacy. Being transparent means being truthful. Stop tracking our citizens. Go out and hunt for the cars that are doing wrong thats your job! Lazy ass police department.
How Orwellian: Flock cameras are well-named, since they help advance totalitarian control of the sheep/citizens.
Look at the jail roster. Mostly poor people who cannot pay fines. We aren’t arresting criminals and these cameras are a waste of money.