License plate reading cameras help Raleigh police make 41 arrests in 6 months

Twenty-five cameras that scan license plates looking for crime suspects have been positioned on roads throughout Raleigh, from crime hotspots to entertainment districts.

The Raleigh Police Department joins a growing list of agencies in central North Carolina to install Flock Safety cameras.

102 alerts, 56 recovered cars and 50 arrests: License plate cameras have helped Garner police solve crimes in first six months of use

RPD installed its cameras last June. In the first six months, the department said the cameras alerted officers to 116 wanted people, and 41 people were arrested.

Chief Estella Patterson told the Raleigh City Council in November that the Flock cameras helped find a car used in a homicide.

“They have been instrumental in, when a crime happens, being able to locate the vehicle of the offender,” Patterson said.

“I am a firm believer in having more technology and using technology, having cameras in particular.”

The Flock system alerts officers in their patrol cars when one of the cameras recognizes a license plate listed on a local “hot list” and state or federal databases.

RPD said the cameras have helped catch "violent offenders," recover stolen cars and license plates and find missing children.

In 2022, police said there were 1,283 reports of stolen cars. That number has increased 25% in two years.

“I see [the cameras] as a good thing, because it’s able to catch criminals,” said Anthony McLean, an east Raleigh resident. “I definitely wouldn’t want my truck stolen. If it got stolen, I would definitely want it back.”

Garner Police installed 15 Flock cameras in busy intersections and town parks. The department said 144 alerts resulted in 167 charges and 43 recovered vehicles.

In Raleigh, where the police department is 115 officers short of full strength, Patterson said the cameras are keeping eyes on the road around the clock.

“We’ll continue to look at technology and how we can best utilize it,” Patterson said.

Flock Safety said the cameras only take pictures of the back of cars as they drive by. The cameras do not record people or faces. The data is deleted after 30 days.

The group urges law enforcement agencies to implement strong privacy policies around the cameras and to delete data as quickly as possible.

Flock Safety said it does not sell or give personal information to third parties.