The Furnas County Sheriff’s Office has announced it will discontinue its trial of the Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system prior to the conclusion of the planned 60-day trial period.
In a news release, Sheriff Doug Brown says the purpose of the trial was to provide an opportunity to evaluate the technology firsthand and determine whether it could provide meaningful value as an investigative tool. But, he says concerns and controversy developed shortly after the trial began prevented “a meaningful evaluation of the technology for its intended purpose.”
Sheriff Brown said he continues to believe ALPR technology has legitimate law enforcement value and can be used responsibly. However, he acknowledged significant public concern regarding the program. Some concerns involve broader questions about the technology itself, while others stem from misunderstandings about how the system operates and how it was intended to be used locally.
Brown said the amount of time and attention devoted to addressing the ongoing controversy became disproportionate to the potential benefits of continuing the trial. Following discussions with the Furnas County Board, there was agreement that the potential benefits of continuing the evaluation did not outweigh the concerns, controversy, and administrative burden associated with the program.
Brown emphasized that ending the trial should not be interpreted as a conclusion that the technology is ineffective, improper, or without value. Rather, he said the circumstances surrounding the trial made it impractical to continue the evaluation at this time.
