Arlington police tout flock cameras’ success in fighting crime – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Arlington police are increasing the use of flock cameras for license plate recognition.

The technology is being used on streets across the city and police say it is reducing crime and leading to larger arrests.

Some residents in North Texas communities that have implemented the technology share privacy concerns.

More than 130 Flock license plate reader cameras are deployed on Arlington streets, and last week the city agreed to an extension of its recent contract with the company.

Arlington police told NBC 5 they started with 24 cameras two years ago and have been building the system since then and seeing great results.

“We evaluated it and found that crime went down in the areas where we deployed the cameras,” said Steve Williams, assistant chief of technical services for the Arlington Police Department.

Police data showed that since the program began, parts of Arlington with flock cameras have seen a 26% decrease in crimes against people, compared to a 12% decrease in crimes in other areas.

Arlington police leaders also said the cameras helped the investigation.

After a 56-year-old woman was killed in a robbery outside a New York Avenue restaurant last December, police used flock cameras to identify the car that fled the scene.

They arrested 35-year-old Fernando Taylor and charged him with capital murder.

“What could have easily been a cold case at the moment was solved through the use of our technology,” Williams said.

A number of North Texas cities, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, White Settlement and Trophy Club, now use flock systems.

Some North Texans said the cameras have raised concerns in some of those areas.

“The invasion of privacy,” said Rogelio Meixueiro of Sunrise MVMT Tarrant County. “They’ve mentioned to us how often they’re just afraid of having cameras around all the time.”

Activists said the idea that police could constantly monitor neighborhoods worried some residents who were unsure who was watching the footage, how it would be used and how long it would be stored.

“Is this camera going a little too far, is it taking in too much of my information?” Meixueiro said.

In response, Arlington police said the cameras only captured license plates and the backs of vehicles on the road, not drivers or passengers.

Arlington Police Department leaders told NBC 5 that the video was only stored for 30 days and officers could only access the Flock system after training and when they were investigating a specific case.

“We respect our citizens’ privacy and we value it,” Williams said.