Flock-type Camera System for Starkville Approved
STARKVILLE - The Starkville Board of Aldermen voted to fund five new Motorola camera units for the police department at a special call budget meeting.
At the Aug. 26 meeting, the Starkville police chief, whose name was not stated in the meeting record, told board members the new Motorola system is distinct from the Flock Safety license-plate readers used elsewhere and has helped investigators solve crimes, including a recent armed robbery.
Addressing concerns about oversight of the technology, the chief said, "we are protectors of the Constitution and we appreciate that and you can only put so many things in place to ensure that no one violates that. We keep it at the highest priority of information that comes through." The board then voted to approve the $275,000 in funding for the department.
The purchase adds to the kind of surveillance-related spending that draws scrutiny from watchdog groups tracking local government budgets. The chief's characterization of how the Motorola system differs from Flock Safety's product, and his description of how footage is stored and reviewed, were not independently verified at the meeting. It also remains unclear whether the city maintains a separate contract with Flock Safety alongside the new purchase.