FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Add Frankfort to the list of cities that would like to implement Flock camera technology to assist law enforcement.
“This is another way, that if we have a license plate, we can put it in and identify where an individual may have gone so we can get to them before there’s a crisis,” said Frankfort Chief of Police, Dustin Bowman.
Chief Bowman spoke with LEX 18 about the cameras before making a presentation on the same to a group of Frankfort residents during a public forum on the matter. There are many cities and towns in the Commonwealth using the Flock cameras, Lexington included, and so many residents feel as if they are an invasion of privacy. Or that they are being used to target certain areas of town.
“We went through two or three different mappings of ideas. We don’t have any that is targeting any neighborhoods or sections of town,” Chief Bowman said.
The Flock cameras are also not used to track motor vehicle infractions, like speeding, or not wearing a seatbelt.
“The only traffic enforcement that could come from this is in a hit and run, and of course, that is a criminal act,” Chief Bowman added.
The cameras, which in Frankfort would be placed along major thoroughfares, would be used to assist law enforcement with active investigations and urgent matters where time is of the essence. They are not monitored 24/7, and can only be accessed during an active investigation, or when a serious need is proven.
“If you have a situation with Golden Alerts, this is another way that if we have a license plate we can put it in and maybe identify where an individual may have gone,” Bowman said.
Residents who attended the meeting were able to ask Chief Bowman questions and most seemed satisfied with his answers. The cost per camera is roughly $3,000, with a nominal start-up fee. Chief Bowman said there is no date for the installation of the first set of cameras at this time. As he told residents, he’d like to move quickly since his, like many departments, is experiencing a staffing shortage.
“Be more efficient in our efforts to locate an individual and hopefully save a life. If someone identifies a red pick-up truck after a shooting, we’re looking for every red pick-up truck in the state. But with a camera we might get a license plate, or rear bumper sticker, so that narrows things down for us,” he explained during his presentation.
