City of Taylor enters agreement with TxDOT to begin using license plate readers
Published: Sat, 09/30/23
City of Taylor enters agreement with TxDOT to begin using license plate readers
City of Taylor enters agreement with TxDOT to begin using license plate readers
(Photo: CBS Austin)
CBS Austin
by Paige Hubbard
AUSTIN, Texas — Taylor City Council voted to approve a resolution that will allow its police department to utilize license plate readers during a city council meeting Thursday evening.
Taylor’s Police Chief Henry Fluck says the equipment was already purchased. In order for the technology to be installed, city council must approve an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation. This will authorize police officers to use license plate readers on TxDOT roadways.
“This is not a camera that's in a police vehicle. This is at a fixed location on a TXDOT right away,” he said.
There are over 80 police departments in the state of Texas that use license plate readers to solve crimes. Police Chief Fluck says the technology will act as a deterrent and will only be used as needed to help gather evidence about wanted cars involved in robbery’s, murders, amber alerts, and other crimes.
“As far as the concerns, it is strictly the vehicle and license plate information. It does not give information on people, there is no facial recognition, no traffic enforcement meaning, some people think this has something to deal with red light cameras, which it doesn't. Some people might think it has something to do with speed enforcement. It doesn't,” said Fluck.
The data will be stored in an encrypted cloud for 30 days and then will be automatically deleted. To access the site the investigating officer would have to enter a case number so an audit trail can be created. The Taylor Police Department will have access to the data and will only share it with another police department if it helps solve a crime.
“Of course, the cons are the purchase cost. There is a recurring annual cost every year and any public misconceptions about some of the things that the license plate readers are not,” said Fluck.
The Taylor Police Department is looking to install eight cameras at different locations. The cost is $2,500 per year on top of installation costs and other fees.
“I do think this is awesome because with all the Amber Alerts, Silver Alerts we can help the children the elderly, and I would hopefully look at getting this for our school entrances in the future,” said a council member. “We need to really protect our kids and knowing that there's a vehicle on there that's wanted, at a moment's notice, who can give more response time to RPD,I can see value in that,”
Flock Safety is the company that sells the reader. Their community affairs manager Hector Soleimani says they settled on that timeframe because it gives enough time for a police department to investigate a crime.
“You know, many times folks may not be home, they might not report something for a couple of weeks, but then still protects privacy,” said Soleimani.These readers usually have a standard two-year contract. After the first year the city has the right to terminate the agreement