Morehead Police Department Releases Detailed Flock Camera Transparency Data

MOREHEAD, Ky. — Following recent public discussion surrounding the City of Morehead's use of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras, the Morehead Police Department has released additional information through its public transparency portal, providing residents with a more detailed look at how the system operates, what information is collected, and how that information is shared.

The newly released data offers one of the most comprehensive looks yet at the local camera network and may answer some questions while raising others.

According to the department's transparency portal, Morehead currently operates 12 license plate reader cameras and 14 cameras total throughout the city.

The cameras are designed to capture vehicle-related information, including license plate numbers, vehicle characteristics, and travel direction. The department states the system does not utilize facial recognition technology and does not identify individual occupants inside vehicles.

The department also states that camera data is retained for 30 days before being automatically deleted.

Perhaps the most eye-opening statistic released by the department involves the sheer volume of traffic captured by the system.

According to the transparency portal:

While a "hotlist hit" does not necessarily indicate criminal activity, it can alert officers when a vehicle matches information associated with stolen vehicles, wanted persons, missing persons cases, Amber Alerts, or other law enforcement databases.

The Morehead Police Department continues to defend the program as a valuable investigative tool.

According to information posted on the transparency portal, the department reports the cameras have helped:

The department highlighted the recovery of stolen property as one of the system's recent success stories.

One concern frequently raised by citizens nationwide regarding license plate reader technology involves potential misuse.

The transparency portal states that monthly audits are conducted to review system usage. According to those audits, no policy violations have been identified in reviewed searches.

The department also states that users must have a legitimate law enforcement purpose before accessing the system.

While much public attention has focused on the cameras themselves, one aspect of the system that may draw the greatest scrutiny is the extensive data-sharing network connected to the Flock Safety platform.

The transparency portal indicates that Morehead Police both share information with and receive information from a vast network of participating agencies.

That network includes:

Federal entities listed include:

The sharing network also includes agencies from Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, Missouri, and dozens of other states.

Among Kentucky agencies listed are departments and sheriff's offices from communities including Lexington, Louisville, Frankfort, Ashland, Bowling Green, Georgetown, Richmond, Elizabethtown, Owensboro, Paducah, Hopkinsville, Florence, Berea, Campbellsville, Glasgow, Maysville, Cynthiana, Shelbyville, Mount Sterling, and many others.

The list extends into the hundreds—and likely thousands—of participating agencies nationwide.

One of the most common misconceptions surrounding Flock Safety systems is that all participating agencies automatically have unrestricted access to every camera.

According to the Morehead Police Department's transparency portal, that is not the case.

The portal states that:

It further states that:

In other words, the portal indicates that Morehead Police—not Flock Safety—determines what information is shared and with whom.

The release of the transparency data comes amid a nationwide debate over the use of automated license plate reader technology.

Supporters argue that the systems help locate stolen vehicles, find missing children, identify suspects, and solve crimes that might otherwise remain unsolved.

Critics, meanwhile, question whether large-scale collection of vehicle movement data creates privacy concerns and whether safeguards are sufficient to prevent misuse.

For now, the newly released transparency data provides Morehead residents with a clearer picture of how the city's Flock camera system operates and how frequently it is being used.

What remains certain is that the cameras are generating a significant amount of information. In just the past month alone, more than 134,000 unique vehicles were recorded by the system, making the Flock network one of the most active law enforcement technology tools currently operating in the city.

Editor's Note: The information in this article was obtained directly from the Morehead Police Department's publicly available Flock Safety transparency portal and related documentation provided by the department. The Morehead Minute will continue to follow developments regarding the city's camera program and provide updates as additional information becomes available.

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