LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Opponents of the plan to add 75 “Flock” license plate cameras spoke during Thursday evening’s city council meeting. After the meeting, LEX 18 took concerns to Police Chief Lawrence Weathers to hear his response.
Multiple people who spoke during public comment during the meetings questioned why police were asking for additional cameras before the year long pilot is up, adding it was the community’s understanding that the city would wait until a full year is up before looking at the data and deciding if the program should remain.
Weathers said that was never the case, calling it misinformation, adding it would still take three months after voting to buy additional cameras before they get them.
A man who spoke said it was confusing to them why a rush to purchase new cameras exists and why there is a haste.
“The core reason is we have people that are being victimized,” Weathers told LEX 18. “Some of them are getting property taken, some of them are getting injured, and this is a tool just like any other tool to solve some of these crimes.”
Opponents have also said the city either hasn’t released enough data about if the program has worked or the right type of data.
The city released a list of data Monday showing the impact the Flock cameras have had. All 25 cameras have been operational for two months, with cameras being installed and phased in the prior months.
The city says the cameras helped them recover 95 stolen vehicles totaling nearly $1.5 million, 165 people have been charged, eleven missing people have been located, 455 charges have been placed, 130 warrants/subpoenas have been served, and 36 firearms were seized.
“It appears that the initial limited data over just a period of a couple months only shows a statistically negligible increase in recovered property,” one of the speakers said.
“What I’ll say to that, what is an acceptable amount of victims you want,” Weathers responded. “What’s a negligible amount of victimization? If I had one victim, and I could solve somebody’s crime over that, I think it’s worth trying.”
Speakers also said the city has no comparison data and there is no way to know it is bringing crime down.
Weathers responded by saying they have seen crimes being solved.
A speaker mentioned how the city should put a greater focus on crime prevention.
“If a crime happens and we solve it quickly and they are brought to justice and held accountable for that crime, the prevention comes in as other people see that and that might deter them from committing the same crime,” Weathers said. “That’s where you might see crime come down, you can't guarantee that with anything but you have to hope that’s how it works.”
On Tuesday, Weathers said they are able to solve crimes much more quickly thanks to the Flock cameras. Instead of waiting hours or days, an officer can access information that will allow them to quickly solve a crime in minutes.
Speaking during public comment, first district councilwoman-elect Tayna Fogle said she knows of people who were in favor of the cameras, but question them now.
“Their houses have been shot up, there have been drive-bys,” Fogle said. “Did the Flock camera catch that, I didn't hear that data in the report.”
Weathers indicated those crimes wouldn't be recorded by the cameras.
“They're not normal security cameras,” Weathers said “They don’t take video, they take pictures.”
Police are not alerted unless a car is connected to a crime, enabling them to police fairly, Weathers said.
Opponents have also questioned why the location of cameras is not publicly available.
Weathers said with so few cameras, if police were to identify their locations, it would be too easy for a criminal to avoid the cameras.
