Government
BY ELISABETH JIMENEZ & JAMIE MOORE
San Marcos denies license plate readers
Google Fiber to expand to Kyle
“However you feel about the contract, however you feel about this expansion—
it doesn’t matter right now. It is not the right time to expand this.” COUNCIL MEMBER AMANDA RODRIGUEZ
Following months of public feedback, San Marcos City Council voted 5-2 on June 3 to deny a proposal to expand the police department’s auto- matic license plate recognition, or ALPR, tech- nology from 14 to 33 cameras. Council members Shane Scott and Matthew Mendoza dissented. At a glance Flock Safety’s cameras capture images of vehi- cles. The system analyzes license plate numbers, vehicle make, model, color and issuing state. Data is stored for 30 days, which city o cials said allows time for victims to report crimes and for investigations to proceed. During the meeting and public comment period, supporters argued the system assists in real-time alerts and investigations. Critics—including several council members— voiced concern about insu cient safeguards
Google Fiber, or GFiber, will begin con- struction in Kyle this summer, with the goal of serving its rst customers by next spring. In an email, GFiber o cials said service should become available in areas through- out Kyle on a rolling basis as segments of construction are completed; however, an exact timeline and map were not available. The overview GFiber will primarily use micro-trench- ing—a method that reduces interference with other utilities and speeds up con- struction, according to a City Council presentation June 3. Construction will begin in southeast Kyle before expanding northward, GFiber representative John-Michael Cortez said during the meeting.
and potential access by federal agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The latest Following feedback from the meeting, SMPD announced that e ective June 9, it ceased all automatic sharing of ALPR data with outside law enforcement agencies. Instead, data will only be shared upon request by an agency and con rma- tion of a speci c criminal investigation or prose- cution, according to a news release. Requesting agencies must also complete a formal process, including a non-disclosure agreement.
Hays County Jail o ers free Narcan to reduce deaths A vending machine with Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, is now available to the public
according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Free educational resources and materials are also available near the vending machine. How we got here The project comes from a collaboration with the Hays County Sheri ’s O ce, the Health Depart- ment’s Behavioral Health Program and UTHealth Houston’s Integrated Community Opioid Network.
inside the Hays County Jail lobby to ensure “timely access to this critical intervention,” according to a news release. The details Naloxone is a medication that can rapidly reverse the often fatal e ects of an opioid overdose,
Hays County community members can now utilize a Narcan vending machine, located in the Hays County Jail.
COURTESY HAYS COUNTY OFFICIALS
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