CPD Flock cameras generate more than 5,500 alerts in first year
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A new report shows Columbia’s Flock Safety camera system alerted police thousands of times over the past year.
The Columbia Police Department says the system generated 5,521 total alerts in the first year of operation. Of those alerts, 2,877 were linked to outstanding warrants, 1,452 involved stolen license plates and 1,192 were connected to stolen vehicles.
The Flock system was approved by the Columbia city council in Oct. 2024. Since then, more than 100 license plate reader cameras have been installed across the city.
Two years ago, Police Chief Jill Schlude previously said the system is intended in part to deter crime.
“The idea is to set up a system where there is a fear that your numbers are going to get drawn or that your queries are going to get looked at, and that’s kind of a deterrent,” Schlude said.
The technology has drawn criticism from some community members who have raised concerns about privacy and government surveillance. Despite those concerns, police said the cameras have helped identify wanted individuals and recover stolen property.
According to the department’s annual report, the system has been linked to 217 criminal cases since its deployment. More than half of those cases either led to an arrest or provided investigators with useful leads, including 69 arrests and 52 investigative leads.
The report also details the cost of the system.
Columbia spent nearly $585,000 to install and launch the Flock Safety camera system in 2025.
City officials expect to spend about $515,000 in fiscal year 2026 to maintain the network, including $476,000 from police and general city funds and $39,000 from parks and recreation.
While the system costs more than half a million dollars per year, city officials believe the expense is justified when spread across the population and weighed against the public safety benefits they said the cameras provide.
The city’s current contract with Flock expires in March 2027, when officials will decide whether to renew the agreement.
