Government
BY ALEX REECE
Prosper police utilize camera network
The cameras scanned 7.9 million plates from Aug. 10-Sept. 9. the Flock Safety Camera system since spring 2023. 9,354 vehicles have been alerted to the police through 45 Flock Safety Cameras have documented the license plates of cars driving in Prosper.
Just over a year into the program, Prosper is looking to expand its network of nearly 50 license plate-scanning cameras. The cameras, known as Flock Safety Cameras, have been a “force multiplier” for the Prosper Police Department by monitoring the town’s road- ways 24/7, Police Chief Doug Kowalski said. Since it started, police reported the cameras assisted in 10 stolen vehicles recoveries, eight rearm appre- hensions and 26 arrests in Prosper, as of Sept. 9. “It never gets tired, it doesn’t need a break, doesn’t go to lunch,” he said. “It’s always running.” How it works The cameras are placed at strategic locations including major shopping centers, intersections and the town’s main entrances and exits. The cameras are not used in tra c enforcement, Kowalski said. They do not track a vehicle’s speed or who is driving it, just the license plate and the car’s make, model and identifying features.
That information is then recorded and instantly agged if it matches a description of a car used in a recent crime, Kowalski said. The camera network also keeps a constant eye out for cars in Amber Alerts or cars belonging to someone with a warrant out for their arrest. Police o cers have a limited window to use the scans. Any unused recordings and photos are removed after 30 days, Kowalski said. The system can shave days o of a typical police investigation, but its uses go beyond that, Kow- alski said. Being able to compare license plates during a tra c stop can help an o cer know if the person they pulled over for speeding is considered armed and dangerous, he said. Going forward Kowalski said he expects additional cameras to be placed around town. “We will continue making sure that all of the roads are covered,” he said.
Flock Safety cameras are battery and solar-powered.
SOURCE: TOWN OF PROSPER COMMUNITY IMPACT
COURTESY FLOCK SAFETY
Check out a map of the ock cameras at communityimpact.com .
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