Mayor presents updated Flock license plate reader stats

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Since the first Flock Safety license plate readers were installed in Lexington in March, Mayor Linda Gorton says they’ve been “very effective” in helping police investigate crime.

On Twitter, Gorton said thanks to the LPRs, a Michigan man with a murder warrant was arrested and police have helped recover nearly 80 stolen vehicles in the most recent data updated on Sept. 26.

Police have also served 107 subpoenas, found 11 missing people, recovered 11 stolen license plates, seized 30 guns and charged 142 people.

But the Flock cameras didn’t come without pushback.

When it was first announced the 25 cameras would be installed in “places of high crime determined by the police department,” police answered many questions from the public — some of whom felt their privacy is being invaded.

“These are license plate readers, that’s all they do,” said Gorton in mid-September. “They don’t follow someone down the street. They don’t ticket someone for running a red light. They aren’t speed cameras. They are simply license plate readers.”

“Having surveillance makes getting facts and helping to solve a crime after the fact easier, but does that make us any safer? Wouldn’t it be safer if the policing policy we put in place was accepted and embraced by the community?” said David Kloiber in response to Gorton.

If you’d like to see all Flock camera data in the City, click here.