Parsons Police using new technology to take down criminals
The Parsons Police Department is completing their beta testing of five of Flock’s Falcon Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras and access to Flock’s network operating system in an effort to help reduce and solve crime.
This program was presented to the Parsons City Commission in February of 2023. Since then, a subscription contract has been signed.
Flock Safety ALPR cameras send a real-time alert to law enforcement when a stolen motor vehicle or known wanted suspect from a state or national crime database is detected. They also send real-time alerts if a vehicle associated with a missing persons case from an AMBER or Silver Alert is detected.
“It was a slow permitting process with KDOT since our ALPR’s are sited on state highway right- of-way,” said Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks. “One of the many benefits of having a subscription verse purchasing the ALPRs is that the vendor does the installation, maintenance, upgrades, and data processing. We merely pay a fixed subscription fee for each camera and supporting services.”
The total annual cost to the police department for the first year is $14,250. That cost is being paid in part from the police department’s drug seizure account.
Parsons is not alone in utilizing the FLOCK ALPR system which some 4,000 agencies nationwide now utilize as a crime deterrent and investigative tool to track down wanted felons, stolen cars as well as missing persons.
“Agencies in SE Kansas have been trying to find a workable ALPR vendor for nearly five years,” said Parsons Deputy Chief Dennis Dodd. “Chief Kwin Bromley of the Coffeyville Police Department began discussions with area Chief’s almost four years ago. But it was not until FLOCK presented a subscription- based service verse the alternative of police agencies buying the hardware, installing, maintaining, and tracking the data, did it become feasible for our region to jump in.”
FLOCK ALPRs are either in-service or in the process of being deployed in Pittsburg, Adams County, Montgomery County, Bourbon County, Jasper County, Frontenac, Coffeyville, Caney, Independence, Parsons, and other communities in SE Kansas.
“FLOCK is nothing new to Kansas,” according to Parsons Patrol Lieutenant Kyle Wiford, “Wichita as an example has well over 100 ALPRs deployed. This system is all about policing smarter, finding bad guys quicker and deterring felons and criminals from doing business in SE Kansas.”
The Flock Safety system helps law enforcement investigate crime by providing the objective evidence needed to detect and clear cases. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), 7 in 10 crimes are committed with a vehicle, and that 97% of car thieves are charged with additional crimes, including robbery, burglary, theft, drug trafficking and violent person crimes.
‘Flock Safety ALPR cameras capture license plates and vehicle characteristics, such as make, model and vehicle color, but they do not capture readily identifying images of people or their faces, and they do not utilize facial recognition software. Additionally, the Flock Safety LPR cameras are not designed for remote or automated enforcement of traffic violations and will not be used in this capacity.
The Parsons police department will be adding a FLOCK ALPR transparency page to their web site by April that will offer a publicly accessible Transparency Portal, which is an online dashboard that can share the department’s usage and outcomes relating to the use of Flock’s LPR system.
Flock Safety cameras are used in more than 4,000 communities across the country, and the company works with over 3,000 law enforcement agencies. Flock Safety currently helps law enforcement solve 10% of reported crime in the United States, and communities using Flock Safety LPR’s have reported crime reductions of up to 70%.
“At Flock Safety, we believe in building strong bonds between police departments and the citizens they pledge to protect, and we’re proud to partner with the Pittsburg Police Department to help them in the pursuit of public safety,” said Garrett Langley, CEO of Flock Safety.
About Flock Safety:
Flock Safety is an all-in-one technology solution to eliminate crime and keep your community safe. Our intelligent platform combines the power of communities at scale – including cities, businesses, schools, and law enforcement agencies – to shape a safer future together. Flock Safety does not sell or share data with third parties. Our full-service, maintenance-free technology solution is trusted by more than 4,000 communities across the country to help solve and deter crime in the pursuit of safer communities for everyone.
Visit www.flocksafety.com for more info.