JERSEY VILLAGE, Texas – Years before automated license plate reader cameras became commonplace at intersections across the United States, a small city northwest of Houston was among the early adopters of the technology.
Jersey Village, home to fewer than 8,000 residents, approved the use of Flock Safety cameras in 2018. Today, Jersey Village Police Chief Danny Keele says there are 58 Flock cameras throughout the city.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley told our sister station WDIV that Jersey Village was an important early example of the company’s expansion beyond residential neighborhoods and into law enforcement.
Langley said the technology was initially being used in neighborhoods when Jersey Village asked to expand them.
“Can we buy it for the major intersections of the city?” Langley recalled the city asking. “And we said, sure.”
Since then, Langley said, the technology has “become quite prolific.”
58 cameras in a city of fewer than 8,000 residents
The number of cameras stands out when compared with some larger Houston-area cities.
Jersey Village has 58 cameras, according to Chief Keele — around the same number being used in Conroe and League City, cities with populations close to 120,000.
Chief Keele said the city’s residential population, however, does not tell the full story.
Jersey Village sits along heavily traveled roads in northwest Harris County. Chief Keele said traffic counts along Jones Road can exceed 140,000 vehicles a day, bringing a much larger transient population through the city.
Chief Keele said the cameras have become an important investigative tool for his officers, particularly when trying to identify vehicles connected to crimes or locate stolen vehicles.
Flock cameras are automated license plate readers that capture information from passing vehicles that law enforcement can search during investigations.
Chief Keele said the technology also works alongside other investigative tools, such as surveillance video from businesses and residents, to help officers identify vehicles associated with crimes.
Residents divided over privacy
As the technology has expanded, so have questions about how much information law enforcement should be able to collect about drivers.
People KPRC 2 spoke with in Jersey Village expressed mixed opinions.
William Bludworth, a Jersey Village resident, said he sees the potential public safety benefits but is uncomfortable with the growth of surveillance technology.
“It’s good to be able to have data to be able to solve crimes and so forth,” Bludworth said. “But on the other hand, Big Brother just keeps creeping in.”
Vanessa Melton, who lives in Houston but regularly visits Jersey Village, had stronger concerns.
“I think it is a violation of our privacy,” Melton said. “It’s totally taking away more of our rights.”
Chief says Jersey Village has not experienced misuse
Questions surrounding access to license plate reader databases have taken on greater significance as several Houston-area law enforcement agencies have faced allegations of officers improperly using the technology.
Chief Keele said Jersey Village has not experienced similar problems during the years its police department has used Flock.
The chief said any technology that gives law enforcement access to sensitive information needs safeguards and oversight.
Keele pointed to department policies, officer training and audits of the system as safeguards intended to ensure officers are using the technology for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
He said Flock data in Jersey Village is retained for 30 days.
“We’re not using it to track people,” Chief Keele told KPRC 2.
Chief Keele said the technology has helped officers identify suspects and take people accused of serious crimes off the streets more quickly.
But he also acknowledged that departments have a responsibility to ensure officers use powerful technology appropriately.