07/28/2026
Understanding the Greenbrier Police Department’s Use of Flock Safety Cameras
There are many misconceptions surrounding automated license plate reader technology. We want our community to understand how the Greenbrier Police Department uses Flock Safety cameras and what safeguards are in place.
Flock is not a speed camera, red-light camera, facial-recognition system, or ticket-generating device. It is an investigative tool designed to identify vehicles associated with crimes, missing-person cases, and other legitimate public-safety concerns.
When a vehicle passes a fixed Flock camera, the system captures a still image and records information that is already visible from a public roadway. This may include:
The license plate number
Vehicle make, model, and color
Distinguishing features, such as a roof rack, decal, or trailer
Direction of travel
Date and time
Camera location
The cameras do not determine who owns the vehicle or identify its driver or passengers. They do not use facial recognition and are not GPS devices attached to vehicles. Each detection represents a vehicle passing one fixed location at a particular time.
How the system assists officers
Flock can alert officers when it detects a license plate associated with a stolen vehicle, wanted person, missing or endangered person, AMBER Alert, Silver Alert, or another authorized law enforcement investigation.
An alert is not automatic proof of criminal activity. Before taking enforcement action, officers must verify the information through NCIC or another official law enforcement source and evaluate the circumstances they encounter.
Investigators can also search recently recorded vehicle information after a crime has been reported. For example, a victim or witness may only remember that a suspect left in a dark-colored SUV or provide part of a license plate number. Flock can help investigators narrow that information into more manageable leads.
This technology can assist investigations involving:
Stolen vehicles
Missing or endangered people
Burglaries and thefts
Robberies and violent offenses
Kidnappings and child abductions
Human trafficking
Narcotics trafficking
Organized retail theft
Why this matters in Greenbrier
Individuals involved in criminal activity rarely remain within one city or county. They frequently travel through several jurisdictions using state highways, secondary roads, and rural communities.
A vehicle connected to a crime in in another jurisdiction may pass through Greenbrier before officers elsewhere know where it went. A strategically located license plate reader can provide timely information that would otherwise depend on an officer being in the exact location at the exact moment.
This allows officers to focus their attention on vehicles connected to a documented public-safety concern instead of stopping vehicles based only on a broad description. It can reduce unnecessary contacts, improve officer safety, and help a smaller department use its limited personnel more effectively.
Privacy, access, and accountability
Flock data is not sold. The Greenbrier Police Department owns and controls the information collected by its cameras.
Access is restricted to authorized personnel and must be connected to a legitimate law enforcement purpose. Searches are recorded in an audit trail, allowing the department to review who accessed the system, when it was accessed, and the reason provided for the search. Misuse can therefore be identified, investigated, and addressed through disciplinary or criminal proceedings when appropriate.
Information is retained for a limited period and automatically deleted according to the agency’s established retention settings and applicable law. The cameras do not issue citations, generate revenue, or use facial recognition.
Is Flock mass surveillance?
Flock is not used by the Greenbrier Police Department to indiscriminately watch law-abiding citizens. It records limited, vehicle-related information visible at fixed locations and allows authorized officers to use that information for legitimate public-safety purposes.
Although a license plate is publicly displayed, we recognize that the collection and searching of vehicle information must be accompanied by clear limits and meaningful oversight. That is why restricted access, documented purposes, audit trails, limited retention, independent verification, and accountability are important parts of the system’s use.
Flock does not replace police officers, probable cause, sound judgment, or a complete investigation. It is a force multiplier that can help officers locate vulnerable people, recover stolen property, identify vehicles connected to serious crimes, and respond more quickly when minutes matter.
Our goal is straightforward: use available technology responsibly to make Greenbrier safer while maintaining the accountability and public trust our community expects.
