Madison Police become first in state to install Advanced License Plate Readers

The Madison Police Department is partnering with Flock Safety, a public safety operating system, to install automated license plate reading (or ALPR) cameras in strategic areas around the city.

Flock Safety ALPR cameras help law enforcement investigate crime by providing objective evidence – license plates and vehicle details.  To proactively prevent crime from occurring in Madison, the cameras also send a real-time alert to law enforcement when a stolen car or known wanted suspect from a state or national crime database enters the jurisdiction. Real-time alerts are also activated if a vehicle associated with a missing person in an AMBER or Silver Alert is detected.  

Flock Safety cameras do not record speed or utilize facial recognition. The Madison Police Department will maintain an updated policy around usage of the ALPR system. The data is never sold or shared with third parties, and is deleted automatically after 30 days on a rolling basis to protect citizens’ privacy.  

Madison Police Chief Justin Meyer said that the cameras will improve the department’s ability to not only solve crimes, but prevent crimes and help make Madison a safer place.

Flock Safety cameras are in use in over 15-hundred cities across forty states, and the company works with over 12-hundred police departments. Communities using the Flock Safety system report crime reductions of up to 70-percent.  

Madison Police are holding an informational meeting regarding this new system on Wednesday, May 4th at 6:00 p.m. in the Madison City Commission room in City Hall.  Information will also be presented on the Madison Police Department’s Facebook page.

May 4, 2022