Wapakoneta Police Chief Addresses Flock Camera Concerns and Transparency

Wapakoneta Police Chief Calvin Schneider joined WCSM’s Spectrum Wednesday to address questions and concerns surrounding the city’s use of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras.

Schneider said the department recently launched a Flock Safety Transparency Portal in an effort to provide residents with more information about how the cameras are used, what information they collect and what safeguards are in place. He said misinformation surrounding the cameras has contributed to some public concern.

According to Schneider, the cameras take a still photograph of a vehicle’s license plate and check that plate against the National Crime Information Center database. Police may receive an alert if the plate is associated with a stolen vehicle, stolen license plate, warrant, missing person or another law enforcement matter.

Schneider emphasized that the system does not provide officers with personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, banking information or information from a driver’s cell phone. Officers must use separate law enforcement databases to determine why a vehicle may have generated an alert.

The department currently has six cameras positioned near entrances into Wapakoneta. Schneider said the cameras are located on the outskirts of the city and are primarily pointed toward traffic entering town.

The cameras do not continuously record video. Instead, they capture still images of vehicles and license plates as they pass. Information collected by the system is retained for 30 days before being automatically deleted unless an image is specifically downloaded and preserved as evidence in a case.

Schneider said all Wapakoneta Police Department personnel have access to the system, but every search must have a legitimate law enforcement purpose. Officers are required to document why a plate was searched and, when applicable, provide a case number. The department also conducts audits of searches made through the system.

Schneider said employees who misuse the system could face discipline, termination or potentially criminal charges depending on the circumstances.

The chief also stressed that the system does not use facial recognition technology and is not designed to identify drivers or passengers. The cameras are stationary and only capture vehicles that pass their specific locations.

Schneider said officers also verify Flock alerts through additional law enforcement databases before taking enforcement action. That verification process is intended to prevent problems caused by outdated information, obscured license plates or a mistaken plate reading.

The technology has already assisted local law enforcement investigations. Schneider said Flock camera information helped establish that suspects connected to a previous shooting investigation had been in Wapakoneta after they denied being in the city. He said the cameras have also assisted with theft investigations, while another area law enforcement agency used the technology to help solve an injury hit-and-run crash.

Schneider said the department used the Flock system 18 times during the most recent month discussed during the interview. He said the Transparency Portal allows the public to see information about the department’s use of the system, although certain information could be withheld when releasing it would interfere with an active investigation.

The chief said the cameras should be viewed as an investigative tool rather than a system designed to continuously monitor residents.

Schneider said the department created the Transparency Portal in part to allow residents to better understand exactly what the technology can and cannot do and to provide the public with additional accountability surrounding its use.