Cranston, Pawtucket and Woonsocket police departments piloting Flock Safety license plate cameras

PROVIDENCE – The Cranston, Pawtucket and Woonsocket police departments announced recently they have partnered with public safety technology company Flock Safety to use its automated license plate reading cameras to solve and reduce crime throughout their cities.

In a joint statement released Aug. 18, the departments said they will begin a 60-day pilot program using the Flock Safety ALPR cameras, which will be placed “in strategic areas” around their cities and “will soon be fully activated and monitored.”

Cranston has installed 29 Flock Safety cameras, while Pawtucket has installed 17 and Woonsocket has installed 13. All of the cameras are on city-owned property.

“Crime is constantly changing and innovative, and it is incumbent upon law enforcement leaders to explore the latest technology that will maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of our resources to keep our communities safe,” said Cranston Police Col. Michael Winquist in a statement.

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According to a news release, the cameras will provide objective evidence by capturing still photographs of license plates and vehicle characteristics as vehicles travel on public roads and will be used to solve and reduce violent crime and property crime. The cameras do not independently record people or faces and will not be used for traffic enforcement, as they cannot track speed or identify unregistered or uninsured vehicles, according to the release.

The cameras will send a real-time alert to law enforcement when a stolen car or known wanted suspect from a state or national crime database enters the jurisdiction, as well as for vehicles associated with missing persons or when an AMBER or Silver Alert is detected. License plates identified as potentially being associated with criminal activity must be verified through a manual inquiry by an officer or dispatcher, according to the release.

To promote transparency and accountability, the agencies will maintain accompanying ALPR Transparency Portals readily available to the public, which will display their usage and data policies, the type of information captured and a search log of the last 30 days, the release states. All plate images are automatically purged after 30 days unless the image is identified as evidence in a criminal investigation.

“At Flock Safety, we know that the key to safer communities is in building strong bonds between police departments and the citizens they pledge to protect,” said Garrett Langley, CEO of Flock Safety, in a statement. “We’re proud to partner with these progressive agencies in the pursuit of public safety and look forward to expanding across Rhode Island.”