MONROE, CT — Flock Safety partnered with the Monroe Police Department to install seven automatic license plate readers on arterial roadways throughout the town as a crime reducing measure, but the new cameras are causing a stir among many residents on social media.
Police Chief Keith White said some questioned whether the readers have facial recognition, are being used by the private company to collect drivers’ personal data or are being used for traffic enforcement.
None of this is true, White said, adding his department leases the cameras and owns the records, consisting only of license plates, which Flock Safety maintains.
“The information provided gives us actionable evidence to investigate incidents like vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles, burglaries and missing persons,” he said Thursday. “We have also recently successfully resolved a road rage incident with use of the technology.”
“The goal is for it to be a proactive tool to allow us to respond in real time, but it also allows us to investigate crimes that have happened,” White said.
When a stolen car enters Monroe the Flock License Plate Reader (LPR) Cameras alert police, who can send officers to the area.
“A lot of our overnight car break-ins originate with someone coming here in a stolen car,” White said. “Then they try car handles to get more cars, leaving what they came with and taking additional ones.”
The chief said the LPRs can also help police solve burglaries.
White said the LPRs only capture motor vehicle data, including the make, color and license plate of vehicles that go by, and whether there is a temporary, standard or missing plate.
“We can also see other identifiers, like roof racks, stickers and a tool box,” White said. “It does not collect any personal information. It does not have facial recognition and it does not have information tied to individuals.”
“These are not traffic enforcement cameras,” he added.
Prior to obtaining its own cameras this year, Monroe officers benefited from LPRs in neighboring communities like Trumbull and Newtown.
“We were like the missing piece in the middle,” White said. “We’ve had success using the data.”
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