McKinney and Frisco to Increase Use of Automated License Plate Readers

Two of the biggest cities in Collin County are joining others in the region who have embraced automated license plate reader cameras in their public safety operations.

The McKinney City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution allowing city staff to enter into an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and allow Georgia-based Flock Safety to install and operate automated license plate readers.

Last week, Frisco police announced the department will be putting up similar cameras in the city.

If the agreement in McKinney comes to fruition, cameras will be installed on TxDOT-managed roads in the city, according to the agreement.

Darryl Safford, a spokesman for the department, said McKinney started using Flock cameras on some non-TxDOT-managed roads in November. Safford said that an agreement with TxDOT, which has not been finalized, would be an extension of the department’s efforts to use automated license plate readers.

The cameras will “increase public safety and aid the city’s police department in its crime prevention efforts,” according to a resolution councilmembers approved as part of their consent agenda.

In a Jan. 15 news release, Frisco police announced it would use license plate reader cameras in the city and touted their effectiveness.

Frisco got a $437,000 grant from the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority at the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for the Flock camera system, Frisco Police Chief David Shilson said in a written statement.

“The addition of the Flock LPR camera system is a technological game changer for our community that will allow greater collaboration with surrounding agencies and provide us the ability to better direct our resources to quickly apprehend felony suspects,” Shilson wrote.

Cameras can help authorities track down stolen vehicles and wanted suspects in state and national databases. They capture images of the back of vehicles and their license plates, according to Frisco police.

The system sends officers a real-time alert when it detects a license plate associated with a stolen vehicle or a wanted suspect.

“An alert is also generated if a vehicle associated with a missing person in an Amber or Silver Alert is detected,” according to the release.

Frisco police said the Flock cameras will not be used for traffic enforcement. Data from cameras is stored for 30 days and is “never sold or shared with third parties,” according to Frisco police. Additionally, the department will require justification for a search of the data.

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