LEWISTON, ID – The Lewiston Police Department has announced the installation of Flock License Plate Recognition Cameras to solve and reduce crime.

According to the department, the cameras are additional investigative resource, providing officers with timely, efficient information to aid in identifying, deterring, and resolving criminal activities. The cameras are in used in more than 5,000 communities across the country, and the company works with over 3,000 police departments.

The cameras send a real-time alert to on duty officers when a stolen car or vehicle associated to a known wanted suspect from a state or national crime database is detected. They also send alerts if a vehicle associated with a missing person in an AMBER or Silver Alert is detected.

The systems are designed to capture and process license plate images, not to identify or capture driver information, says an LPD release. Lewiston Police cameras do not have facial recognition technology. All data gathered by the cameras are securely stored on a cloud server for 30 days before being permanently deleted, except in cases linked to criminal investigations.

“To ensure the responsible use of this technology, LPR data is used strictly for legitimate law enforcement purposes, with oversight through policy and audits,” says the release.  The Lewiston Police Department says cameras will not be used to enforce traffic regulations and do not issue alerts for infractions related to vehicle registration, driver’s license status, unpaid parking fines, nor aid in parking enforcement.

“LPR systems helps law enforcement investigate crime by providing objective evidence needed to clear cases,” says the release.

According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 7 in 10 crimes are committed with a vehicle. “I believe the investment in the Flock camera system will be a force multiplier for LPD by leveraging technology” says Police Chief Jason Kuzik.