The following letter is from Perry Police Chief Alan Everidge about the FLOCK camera system in Perry.
As Police Chief in Perry which I am proud to serve I have been asked, as have officers and elected officials, about the FLOCK camera system which has been installed around Perry. This was not a quick decision but a decision based on studies and review of criminal activity trends here and across the nation and how we can continue to keep the community safe. I think most people know as a society we are more mobile than ever before, and there are multiple state highways that cross through Perry; which means people pass through our community daily and sometimes it may be to escape from a crime or to commit a crime. We consider the FLOCK cameras a force multiplier to help deter criminals from desiring to pass through or commit a crime in our community, but it also helps us solve crimes. Since these cameras have been installed, we have recovered stolen vehicles, arrested wanted persons, in addition to solving burglaries, hit and run accidents, robberies, entering autos, thefts and located missing people.
The most common question I get about the cameras is does this generate a ticket or citation by mail as many are placed near intersections, and the answer is no. The second most common question is what do the cameras record and how do we use it. The FLOCK cameras detect automobiles, takes a picture of the car tag and searches law enforcement data bases to determine if the car is stolen, involved in crimes, reported being driven by a missing, endangered, or wanted person for a serious crime such as burglary, armed robbery, murder, etc... The next question is how long this data is stored and are there any other uses for the data. The data is stored for 30 days, then automatically deleted from the server, and not sold to outside groups.
When we have a crime reported whether in the business district or a residential area, we take it seriously. We are very blessed that we do not have the incidents of criminal activity that many communities struggle with but when we do have a crime whether it is someone shoplifting, stealing a bicycle, burglarizing a home, stealing from your car, or committing a violent act. It is our goal to solve every case. FLOCK cameras are a tool for officers to help identify a possible suspect or provide evidence for a jury that the suspect was at or near the area of the crime. This tool is not all encompassing to make a criminal case but is just part of the process to help us identify a suspect. When an officer searches the system, they are required to document in the system what case they are investigating, as well as document it in the investigative report so as administrators we can track when and how the system is used and it is used within policy.
The Perry Police Department strives to be transparent and serve the community in a manner that reflects our mission to provide quality service in partnership with our community to promote a safe and secure community. We are constantly striving to improve our response to calls for service and to be as efficient and effective as possible with the services we provide. As those who commit crimes change the way they operate the Perry Police Department is continuing to look for the most up-to-date training, equipment, and technology to better serve our community. We desire to deter criminals from committing any crimes here as well as apprehend criminals who commit a crime or pass through our community, to provide a safe and secure community to live, work and play.
If you have any questions or there is any way we can be of assistance, please not hesitate to contact the Perry Police Department at (478) 988-2800.
Sincerely,
Alan Everidge, Chief of Police
Perry Police Department