The Lynnwood City Council on Jan. 13 unanimously approved police requests to accept a WASPC grant and enter a two-year contract for automated license-plate reader (ALPR) technology provided by Flock, a vendor the department said is already used by nearby agencies.

What the council approved: the council accepted a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) grant of $132,700 and, in the same meeting, approved a two-year rental contract with Flock totaling $171,153.50 (taxes included). The city will use funds from Fund 105 (public safety sales tax) to cover the remaining $38,453.50. The votes on both the grant acceptance and the contract were recorded as unanimous by roll call.

What police said: Chief Langdon and Deputy Chief Sikon told council the technology will provide alerts when a license plate of interest (for example, a stolen vehicle listed in the national database, NCIC) moves through camera coverage. The department cited local theft statistics to justify the program: staff noted 2,054 reported thefts in Lynnwood in 2023 and 361 vehicle thefts in the same year, and described an estimated $4.8 million in lost property for the city in 2023.

How the system works and oversight: staff said the ALPR cameras capture license-plate images and produce alerts only when a plate matches an entry in an enforcement database (e.g., a stolen vehicle or a wanted person). Officials emphasized the system produces plate “hits” tied to specific investigative queries rather than continuous public video streams; staff also described planned public transparency measures including a public portal and audits. The department said the proposed deployment would begin with about 25 cameras focusing on key ingress/egress points and retail areas; the cameras are rented (the vendor’s quoted per-camera rental figure discussed in the meeting was around $3,000 per camera per year).

Council discussion and conditions: Council members asked for measurable metrics and a short-term evaluation plan. Chief Langdon and staff agreed to provide data back to council about system performance and said the department would present audit information and usage statistics after the system was live. Council Member Josh Bridal stressed he wanted numerical metrics to judge effectiveness and said he would support a trial if staff returned with results. Council Member Patrick Decker compared the proposal to existing red-light cameras that act as a deterrent in the city and indicated support.

Funding and contract details: the two-year contract is structured as a vendor rental for equipment and services; the grant would cover most of the contract cost. Staff said replacing or continuing the system after the two-year term would require further council authorization and likely additional grant or budget action.

Outcome: Council approved the WASPC grant acceptance (roll call unanimous) and separately approved the Flock contract and a $38,453.50 expenditure from Fund 105 (roll call unanimous). Staff said they will publicize the deployment, create auditing and transparency material, and return to council with performance data.