Moore Police Expands Surveillance By Adding Flock Cameras

The City of Moore is expanding the city’s police surveillance system by getting their own set of cameras.

The city council passed the proposal in the summer, and the cameras were activated this year.

There are 10 surveillance cameras set up all around the Moore Police Department. 

Police said these cameras will help them solve cases that go beyond city limits.

A picture is worth a thousand words. That's why police asked the city for $25,000 for 10 flock Safety License Plate Reader cameras.

“They’re obtaining data literally with every passing vehicle,” Lt. Kyle Johnson said.

In just a snapshot, these cameras can alert officers to any vehicle that may be on their radar.

“They run the license plate data that data is then checked through the national crime database to see if that vehicle is entered as a stolen car, a missing person, you know a person that’s wanted, armed and dangerous or issued as a blue alert. Any person for like a violent crime,” Johnson said.

Police said the cameras have been on for about two months, tying them into the metro-wide surveillance system.

They said the cameras are investigative, not an enforcement tool.

“The cameras don’t get any personal data so they don’t photograph who is in the vehicle,” Johnson said.

They’re photographing cars set up in highly traveled areas.

“We looked at areas within our city, like one we saw heat zones for higher criminal activity or particularly higher level crimes,” Johnson said.

Police said they help solve cases beyond city limits.

“There was an individual that was an endangered person. He was an elderly individual that had left home, had some significant medical needs, but had left home and we were able to try and start to track that vehicle data and that individual was located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area within about 12 hours,” Johnson said.

As Moore continues to grow, the police department said it's possible more cameras could be added.