Columbia Police Department completes 86% of Flock camera installations
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Police Department is hitting some installation delays with Flock cameras more than a year after the technology was approval by the city council in 2024.
101 of 118 camera locations have been installed, according to CPD Assistant Chief Lance Bolinger.
"Several cameras have been delayed due to permitting issues and hardware availability, but we are working closely with the Flock Implementation Team," Bolinger said in a statement.
Flock Safety cameras are designed to capture images of license plates. This includes during evenings and in severe weather. The cameras use automatic license plate readers to provide real-time alerts to law enforcement. The data can be shared between multiple law enforcement agencies to help with investigations. Flock claims the cameras do not capture identifiable images of people or faces. All data is held for 30 days.
The city's contract for the cameras comes out of the general fund and CPD budget. The initial cost of the contract was $539,400 for the first year then $476,000 annually.
The technology has been a point of contention with the city, with local and student groups pushing back against the decision.
Bolinger claims the cameras have helped the department.
"This technology has greatly expanded our investigative capabilities and has proven to be an effective tool in solving crimes in our community," Bolinger said.
Police reported using Flock Cameras when keeping tabs on vehicles on scene during the Cosmo Park shooting in April that injured two.
The tech was also used to track down 19-year-old Chauncey Williams after he threatened a family with a gun in December.
The most recent use of Flock cameras on Dec. 18 was done in a partnership with the Missouri State Highway Patrol after they used them to find 24-year-old Joy Smith, who kidnapped two children.
CPD's Flock Transparency Portal reported over 751,000 vehicles detected in the past 30 days. Of those hits, police searched for 486 vehicles. Notable crimes connected with tracked vehicles included assault, weapons offenses and wanted persons reports.
