POCATELLO, Idaho, Aug. 16 (Our Idaho Times) — The Pocatello City Council is taking another look at the city’s Flock Safety cameras after residents raised concerns about privacy, data sharing and whether the system is producing enough results to justify its cost.
At an Aug. 13 work session, Pocatello police officials and Flock representative Sheerica Ware answered council members’ questions. The council did not vote to end the program. Members agreed that more discussion was needed, including a review of the program’s policies, contract and results.
The session did not include formal public comment.
What are Flock cameras?
Flock cameras are automated license plate readers, often called ALPRs. They capture images of vehicles and license plates, along with details such as the time and location of the vehicle. Police can use the information to look for vehicles connected to an investigation.
Pocatello police Capt. Zac Bartschi said the cameras are meant to provide investigative leads and help establish probable cause. They are not intended to replace an officer’s investigation or judgment.
Bartschi said the system does not use facial recognition, identify drivers, track cellphones, issue speeding or red-light citations, or record conversations.
Police officials said the cameras have helped with stolen-vehicle investigations, hit-and-run cases and other investigations. But the information presented to the council did not include a complete list of cases, charging documents, arrest records or independent data showing how often the cameras led to arrests or convictions.
Council President Corey Mangum said the city should receive clearer results. He said officials should be able to identify how many serious offenders had been stopped with the technology.
How much does the system cost?
The city approved a Flock contract after police reviewed several vendors, including Neuology, Motorola, Rekor and Flock Safety. Accounts of the approval date differ: some reports place the vote in 2025, while another account says the contract first came before the council in 2024. Council member Hayden Paulsen was reported as the only opposing vote.
The Idaho State Journal reported that the department spent $102,000 in December 2024 to purchase 34 readers and put them into use in early 2025. Other reports have described 36 cameras in Pocatello. The supplied public information does not resolve whether the different totals reflect purchases, installations or later additions.
The available information also does not establish the contract’s full term, renewal provisions, recurring costs or whether the city could cancel without a penalty.
Who can access the data?
Police Chief Roger Schei said Pocatello recently disabled nationwide access to its Flock network. Regional law-enforcement partners may access the system under department rules, while national access is limited to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the FBI, according to Schei’s presentation.
Other agencies must request access and provide a reason and case number, police officials said. Schei also said Pocatello does not share camera data for immigration-enforcement purposes and has conducted no searches solely for immigration purposes. Those statements were not accompanied by access logs or other records at the work session.
Ware said the city owns its Pocatello data. She said Flock uses anonymized, aggregated information to improve its system and limits access to trained personnel who meet Criminal Justice Information Services standards. Schei said the police department does not sell information.
How long is information kept?
Police officials told the council that camera reads are automatically deleted after 30 days unless they are tied to evidence or an official case report. Information connected to a case may be kept indefinitely, according to the department’s explanation.
The Idaho State Journal reported that Flock announced Aug. 13 that it would shorten its standard retention period to seven days. The information presented does not show when that change took effect or whether it applies to Pocatello’s system.
That difference is important because retention time affects how long police and other approved agencies may search past vehicle movements. The city’s current contract, policy and system settings were not provided during the session materials described in the available reports.
Why is the program controversial?
Supporters say automated plate readers can help police locate stolen vehicles and develop leads in cases that might otherwise be difficult to solve. Pocatello officials also have pointed to the city’s location as the “Gate City” and its proximity to state borders as reasons for coordinating with nearby law-enforcement agencies.
Critics, including Deflock Idaho organizer Brian McKellar, have described the technology as mass surveillance and questioned whether its use complies with Idaho law. The available information includes those allegations but no court ruling, legal complaint or official legal opinion resolving them.
Paulsen has also opposed the contract, saying he views the technology as an invasion of privacy and wants the agreement examined.
What happens next?
The council plans to hold another work session on the cameras, policies or contract. Officials had not set a specific date in the information available from the Aug. 13 discussion, and it was not clear whether the next session would include public comment.
The central question for the council is not only whether the cameras can help solve crimes. It is also whether Pocatello has clear, enforceable limits on access and retention — and enough reliable data to measure the program’s public-safety benefit against its cost and privacy risks.
