The readers — commonly called FLOCK cameras — snap images of license plates around town and cross-reference them with a database of plates known to be connected to criminal reports or activity. It started as a pilot program but quickly grew to 100 cameras on a year lease. Now it’s time for the city to decide whether it wants to continue with the program.
Adrian Bryant with CivicLex says, despite some lingering controversy over the cameras among residents concerned about privacy or overpolicing, an extension of the contract looks fairly certain.
"I think there will be some debate. There may be some council members who vote no," he told WUKY Monday. "I would be pretty surprised if this didn't go through."
Lexington Police say the cameras have led to 21 missing persons located, 264 stolen vehicles recovered, and 68 firearms seized.
Under the new contract, Lexington would pay around $1.6 million to keep 100 plate readers in place for the next five years.
A speaker at Tuesday's council work session and councilmember Tayna Fogle were among those who pressed for more transparency on the issue.
"Is there any reason why we can't have an external audit? I'd really like to see that before we go forward with a five-year plan," Fogle said.
But police countered that the cameras go through multiple levels of review and have proven themselves highly beneficial.
"There are a lot of cities that use this and they get the same results, no infringements on privacy," Chief Lawrence Weathers responded. "I think the sad part of it is that people want to use it as a bogeyman and it's just not. What it is is technology that's needed today."
A final vote is expected on April 25th.
