Palm Springs police highlight Flock cameras as residents weigh safety against privacy

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - The Palm Springs Police Department is inviting the public inside its Real Time Intelligence Center next month, hoping to show residents how technology like Flock automated license plate reader cameras is helping solve crimes while addressing ongoing privacy concerns.

The department announced it will host a community open house on August 20 from noon to 5 p.m., giving residents an inside look at how officers use the technology during investigations.

Police say the cameras can be a powerful tool. In one recent example shared by the department, detectives investigating a burglary at a home compared license plate reader images from multiple crime scenes. Investigators say they identified the same vehicle at three burglaries. Detectives later served a search warrant, arrested a suspect, and recovered the stolen items.

The department says cases like that demonstrate how the technology can help investigators identify suspects more quickly and recover stolen property.

But not everyone is convinced.

Some residents have raised concerns about privacy, questioning how images are stored, who has access to the data, and whether the cameras could be used beyond their intended purpose.

Palm Springs police say protecting privacy is a priority, emphasizing that the cameras are not used for live, continuous surveillance of people. Instead, the department says the system captures images of vehicles and license plates that can be searched during criminal investigations. Officials say access to the information is restricted and governed by department policies.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.