Stricter regulations on Flock cameras and other license plate reading technology could be coming to Justin.
The city took time during its Sept. 17 meeting to discuss at length the possibility of banning stationary cameras with license plate reading technology within city limits.
According to council, the issue isn’t the technology, it’s the possibility of bad actors using the technology for the wrong reasons.
Council asked city staff to come up with a resolution for its Oct. 8 meeting that would give council the opportunity to ban not just Flock cameras, but all brands of cameras with automated license plate readers (ALPR).
The ban would only affect stationary cameras, like those set up along roadsides and such, and would still allow officers to use the front-facing cameras built into squad cars that read license plates as they patrol. Council believed discontinuing the use of in-car cameras could pose a safety issue for patrolling officers.
A city ban would not prevent private businesses or homeowners associations from purchasing or using the cameras on their property.
“I don’t care if it’s Flock, Axon, Genetec, Jim Bob’s ALPR – I don’t want fixed-mount ALPR technology within our city limits,” said council member Shelby St. Claire. “We can’t control what [homeowners associations] do – if they want to deal with the political pressure of installing those in their own subdivisions, that’s on them.”
Rick Pippins, the interim police chief for the Justin Police Department, explained to council that license plate reading technology can be important to police as a tool, but understood council’s wariness about the technology’s misuse.
“It’s an extremely powerful tool, an extremely useful tool when used correctly,” he said.
Pippins and council were confident Justin PD would not have issues like what has been reported around the country with officers using the technology to track ex-spouses or other forms of misuse, but the general doubts were still there.
“I don’t think it would be a problem with anybody on our police staff, but it’s the ALPR technology,” said St. Claire.
“Man is self-serving – it’s the sin of the world and it’s by nature,” said Justin Mayor James Clark. “You can’t tell a person’s heart by looking at their face.”
Clark added that the proposed ban is not about being pro- or anti-law enforcement. He acknowledged that many technologies already track consumer activity but said the proposed ALPR ban is intended to ensure residents do not feel they are at risk of being surveilled.
“I don’t need someone to know when I go to the gun shop, they don’t need to know what church I go to or when I do anything,” said Mayor Clark. “I understand they’re tracking us, I get it. I’m not worried about the good actors… I’m pro law enforcement and think our officers are great… but I stand firmly against this technology because of the bad actors.”
Justin’s officers will still be able to use the front-facing cameras built in to their squad cars, which can read hundreds of thousands of license plates per month, according to Pippins.
That data is stored in a database that can only be seen by officers, but can be shared to other departments nationwide, just as Justin PD can request info from other departments.
Pippins said officers don’t see every plate that is scanned, but will receive an alert when a plate gets flagged for a possible connection to a stolen vehicle, missing person or a previous crime.
Council said that technology is important for patrolling officers to use, and ensures their safety during traffic stops and other situations.
“I don’t look at the camera in a car the same as Flock technology,” said Mayor Clark. “There is a big difference being behind someone, pulling them over and needing to know if [they are a threat].”
According to Pippins, the data collected by the in-car cameras is retained for a variable amount of time, depending on the circumstances.
Council said they have also heard concerns from residents about possible ALPR cameras along public roadways within Justin, but those were traffic survey devices being used to study traffic patterns for future roadway improvements.
Pippins confirmed the traffic devices used do not have cameras, and only collect data on speeds and count the number of passing cars, but nothing about individual vehicles.
The resolution to ban the stationary ALPR cameras within Justin city limits is expected to head to council at its next meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8.
