During a recent government meeting, Denton Police Lieutenant Chris Summit presented a proposal for the implementation of a public safety initiative involving Flock Safety's license plate recognition (LPR) technology. The program aims to enhance community safety by deploying cameras in high-crime areas, particularly around the Golden Triangle Mall and Denton Crossing Shopping Center, which have seen significant incidents of property crime.

Summit outlined the department's vision to leverage technology as a \"force multiplier\" to improve crime response and community trust. The proposed system would utilize solar-powered cameras that capture still images of vehicles, providing real-time alerts for various public safety concerns, including missing persons and stolen vehicles. The initiative is designed to be ethical, focusing solely on vehicle data without any facial recognition capabilities or personal identifiable information.

The financial implications of the project were also discussed. The cost of leasing each Flock Falcon camera is approximately $3,000 annually, with an initial deployment cost of around $36,000 for ten cameras. This cost is comparable to maintaining a subscription to the Flock database, which would no longer provide access to data from other law enforcement agencies due to a recent change in Flock's pricing model.

Summit emphasized the importance of the technology, citing successful case studies where LPR systems helped recover stolen vehicles and locate fugitives. He noted that many neighboring cities already utilize Flock Safety's technology, and Denton aims to keep pace with these advancements to better serve its community.

The meeting concluded with a call for direction from city representatives on whether to approve the initiative. The proposal received support from several representatives, who recognized the potential benefits of the program in enhancing public safety, especially as the holiday season approaches and crime rates typically rise.