Public safety and public trust go hand in hand

New technology often brings questions, and that’s a good thing.

The Town of Bluffton and the Bluffton Police Department have recently received questions about Flock Safety cameras following several acts of vandalism involving the cameras and a number of Freedom of Information Act requests related to the technology. As your mayor, I believe residents deserve answers about how these tools are used and the safeguards in place to protect privacy and maintain public trust.

First, it is important to understand what these cameras are and what they are not.

Flock Safety cameras are automated license plate readers, or ALPRs. They are designed to identify vehicles by reading license plates and noting vehicle characteristics such as make, model, color and distinguishing features. They are not designed to identify people. They do not use facial recognition technology. They do not record audio, listen to conversations, access cellphones or collect information from mobile devices. Flock Safety manufactures the technology, and the cameras are named after the company.

Their purpose is straightforward: to help law enforcement investigate crimes, recover stolen vehicles, locate missing or endangered individuals and provide valuable leads when every minute matters.

In many ways, these cameras serve as additional sets of eyes on our roadways. In a growing community such as Bluffton, it is simply not possible to have a police officer at every intersection or on every street at every hour of the day. Technology can help our officers work more efficiently and respond more quickly while allowing us to be good stewards of taxpayer resources.

Equally important is how this technology is governed.

Before a single camera was installed, the Bluffton Police Department established policies governing how the technology could be used, who could access it and what accountability measures would be required. Officers cannot simply search the system out of curiosity. Access is limited to authorized personnel for legitimate law enforcement purposes, and every search is logged and auditable.
The department also operates under an additional layer of oversight that many communities do not have.

In 2020, Bluffton Town Council established the Law Enforcement Citizens Advisory Committee as part of the department’s commitment to community-oriented policing and transparency. This six-member, resident-led committee serves as a bridge between the community and the police department and conducts regular reviews of the department’s use of this technology.

That citizen committee exists to represent residents’ voices.

The committee reviews how the technology is used, audits access to the system and helps ensure that established policies and procedures are being followed. Its work helps provide transparency, accountability and confidence that these tools are being used responsibly and appropriately.

In Bluffton, public safety and privacy protections go hand in hand.

As our community continues to grow, our responsibility is to use technology thoughtfully, transparently and within clearly defined legal and ethical boundaries. The Bluffton Police Department remains committed to protecting both the safety and privacy of our residents, and Town Council remains committed to maintaining the public trust that makes community policing successful.

Questions are welcome. Residents are encouraged to attend the bimonthly meetings of the Law Enforcement Citizens Advisory Committee. For more information about the meetings, contact the department’s community relations manager, Eydie Moody, at emoody@townofbluffton.com.

Larry Toomer is the mayor of the Town of Bluffton. ltoomer@townofbluffton.com.