Fort Worth, TX – Fort Worth police are praising a new camera system to help them give clues to would-be criminals.
Flock Camera Systems started out as a company providing private video security in the community, but now police across the country use the cameras for a specific purpose: scanning license plates.
Security systems capture vehicle images and connect them to license plate readers.
“We now work with over 2,500 cities across the country. Most of them are law enforcement agencies, and they report to us that they use this technology to solve about 700 to 900 crimes a day,” said Flock, Safe Josh Thomas.
Fort Worth alone uses information from cameras to track potential criminals.
On Saturday, Fort Worth police received an alert from the Flock Security System that a stolen license plate from a car was linked to a serious assault.
Police arrested the driver after chasing him from east Fort Worth to Oak Bluff.
On August 30, Fort Worth police received an alert from Flock cameras about a stolen car.
When police tried to stop the vehicle, it took off.
During the chase, a passenger in the car fired at police while sitting outside the window. Eventually, the car crashed at an intersection in the city of Haltom. The passenger is wanted on three previous charges.
Suspect shoots Fort Worth police during pursuit
Police said they received alerts from Flock license plate cameras saying they had detected a stolen car. Police found the car and tried to stop it, but it kept going.
“The flock camera is a camera that we’re able to put in certain high-traffic areas throughout the city, and if it somehow detects a license plate involving a wanted felon, it will notify officers. If the vehicle is stolen. Not For petty crimes, but for such major crimes,” Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Knox said after the Aug. 30 manhunt. “This technology is a game changer. It’s a perfect example.”
The technology was also used to apprehend a man who allegedly used a drone to attempt to drop drugs, cell phones and MP3 players at the Fort Worth Federal Medical Penitentiary.
Law enforcement found surveillance video showing the suspect flying the drone and his red SUV, but no license plates.
(U.S. Department of Justice)
“Once they use our device to identify the key information that really unlocks the case so they can find the suspicious vehicle, find more evidence and ultimately make an arrest,” Thomas said.
The people behind the technology say the camera’s capabilities are limited.
“It’s important to understand that these cameras get vehicle descriptions and license plates, but they don’t identify people. There’s no facial recognition. In fact, there’s no personally identifying information inside Flock,” Thomas said.