MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2023 24 · SBJ.NET NEWS by Karen Craigo · kcraigo@sbj.net Eight license-plate-reading cameras are now in place throughout the city of Branson. The cameras were installed in mid-February, and Branson Police Chief Eric Schmitt said they already have resulted in several arrests. The cameras tie into national and statewide databases, Schmitt said, and provide alerts when a listed license plate passes by. Additionally, Branson officers can create their own listings for vehicles associated with local crimes, and data can be shared with law enforcement agencies throughout the region. More than 20 of the devices are deployed in the city of Springfield, which acquired its first Flock devices near the start of 2022. The devices, manufactured by and purchased from the Flock Safety company, are motion activated and triggered by vehicles, said Holly Beilin, Flock Safety’s head of public relations. They take still photographs of vehicles’ rear license plates, and driver images are not captured, Beilin said. Beilin said the system provides alerts in the cases of stolen vehicles, wanted persons, and missing or endangered people. When a vehicle tied to one of those categories is spotted, an alert is sent to local law enforcement’s dashboard computers. The alert includes details on the vehicle and the location where it was identified. “It’s a very, very effective tool at both identifying and proactively deterring crime,” Beilin said. Schmitt said the cameras quickly proved their effectiveness in Branson, as in a recent spate of copper thefts in the city. “We were able to get a vehicle description and plates from that,” he said. “We entered that in the system and it pinged the next day, and we caught a suspect with a bunch of stolen copper.” The system retains snapshots for 30 days, Schmitt said, allowing officers to backtrack when a crime occurs to see the suspect vehicle at the location of the incident. Use of the system is limited to crimes with case numbers, Schmitt said, and because of this, it cannot be misused by someone who is looking for a vehicle for other reasons. Branson PD received a $23,800 local violent crime prevention grant from the Missouri Department of Public Safety to cover the installation and cost of the cameras for one year. Each camera costs $2,500 annually to maintain, according to Flock Safety. How they work Atlanta, Georgia-based Flock Safety reports that seven out of every 10 crimes that are committed involve a vehicle, and license plate readers offer law enforcement objective evidence for prosecution. The cameras also can quickly pinpoint the location of a suspect vehicle in time-sensitive cases such as abductions, according to the company’s website. Flock Safety technology captures information on more than 1 billion vehicles per month. The company reports it is in more than 2,500 communities with over 2,000 law enforcement agency partners. An advantage of evidence provided by the Flock Safety cameras is that they lack bias, Beilin said. “All humans, including eyewitnesses and police, have inherent human bias,” she said. “A camera reading a database offers a completely objective piece of evidence.” Schmitt said the system does not have a facial recognition component, nor does it capture faces of drivers or pedestrians, and data is not sold. Cooperation The camera system allows the Branson Police Department to get out ahead of crime. “A lot of police work is reactive,” Schmitt said. “You get the call after something has happened, and then you do an investigation.” Flock Safety allows a proactive, prevention-focused approach to crime. It also enhances interagency cooperation. “All we have to do is put the entry into the national or state database, and just having that entry, it will flag the vehicle,” he said. If the department knows that a vehicle is traveling in a certain area, officers can call agencies and tell them a suspect is on the way. Branson PD is shorthanded, down by about 14 officers, Schmitt said. “We’re facing some of the same challenges that the other agencies have been seeing,” he said. “If we can work smarter and not harder, technology can be a force multiplier.” • onemidwest.com MIDWEST PREMIER COMMERCIAL CHECKING Experience better banking for your business with a Midwest Premier Commercial Checking Account and earn 2.02% APY* on balances of $50,000 or more. 2540 East Sunshine St., Springfield / 417-350-1311 APY *APY = Annual Percentage Yield. APY accurate as of 1/1/23 and may change at any time. $50.00 minimum to open account. Balances of $50,000.000 or more receive 2.02% APY. Receive 0.25% APY if account balance falls below $50,000.00 at any time during the statement cycle. For accounts opened in the Springfield, MO market only. A Flock Safety camera is set up to read license plates. provided by FLOCK SAFETY Eric Schmitt: Flock Safety cameras immediately helped capture a suspect in copper thefts. Branson deploys eight license plate cameras
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