2026-11-04 - Springfield Police Department ALPR News Conference

00:00:00All right, good morning. Thank you for being here.

00:00:03I want to speak directly to our community about how the Springfield Police

00:00:06Department uses automated license plate reader technology, also

00:00:10known as ALPR,

00:00:12and the steps we are taking to ensure our use of this technology is open, aligned

00:00:16with both public safety needs and our community's expectations.

00:00:20We hear your concerns about transparency, accountability, and privacy.

00:00:25Today, we're sharing information that includes updates to the SPD Flock

00:00:28Transparency Portal, revisions to operating

00:00:32guideline or SOG 304.8, and recent

00:00:36decisions about how we share our ALPR data with other agencies,

00:00:40as well as provide a few examples that demonstrate the benefits of this

00:00:44technology.

00:00:46Our actions reflect a commitment to being clear and transparent about

00:00:50how we use technology in ways that protect both the community,

00:00:54safety, and individual civil liberties.

00:00:57Let me begin a little bit by explaining what an ALPR system

00:01:01is and why we use it. Automated license plate readers

00:01:05automatically photograph a vehicle's license plate.

00:01:08They convert that image to text, check that against databases associated with

00:01:12open criminal investigations, and notify officers when there's a match.

00:01:17While the Springfield Police Department has used ALPR technology from a variety

00:01:21of vendors since 2007,

00:01:24we currently use systems from Flock Safety, Axon, and

00:01:28Motorola Watchguard. One caveat, Motorola Watchguard is being phased

00:01:32out. We won't have those by the end of the year.

00:01:36As part of our continuing efforts to be responsible

00:01:39and open with our citizens, we're releasing the full list of fixed Flock

00:01:43cameras, their locations available through the Flock

00:01:46Transparency Portal.

00:01:48The sites were chosen over the last few years

00:01:52based on two factors, traffic volume and proximity

00:01:56to what we call crime hotspots.

00:01:59These are places where this technology can most effectively help solve and

00:02:03prevent crimes.

00:02:05We're also announcing some updates to our standard operating guideline

00:02:09304.8, which governs how the Springfield Police Department

00:02:12uses ALPR technology.

00:02:15This policy, which has been in effect since 2013,

00:02:19makes clear what ALPRs and its users can and

00:02:23cannot do.

00:02:25The safeguards in this policy are intentional and very important.

00:02:29They protect against misuse and ensure the technology is used only

00:02:33for legitimate law enforcement purposes.

00:02:36We hear the community's concerns about the privacy of the data,

00:02:41and we take these concerns very seriously.

00:02:43Our ALPR data is stored securely in Amazon Web

00:02:47Services GovCloud,

00:02:49and it's encrypted with strict access controls and multi-factor

00:02:53authentication.

00:02:54The data belongs to the Springfield Police Department, not to a vendor.

00:02:59As detailed in our contracts and under our policies, vendors may not use it,

00:03:03sell it, or analyze it.

00:03:06We retain ALPR data for 30 days, and it's deleted

00:03:10automatically unless it's tagged as part of an active investigation.

00:03:15To further address the community's privacy concerns, we also made some recent

00:03:19changes on who we share our ALPR data with.

00:03:23Outside law enforcement agencies are the only entities we share

00:03:27with. We now share data only with agencies in Missouri

00:03:32or adjacent states, and that agency has to agree to

00:03:36reciprocate with the data sharing.

00:03:39While we do have the

00:03:41ability to connect to other agencies within the Flock system,

00:03:45sharing is not automatic or unrestricted.

00:03:48I think these changes strengthen our control over who can see Springfield's

00:03:52data and how it can be used.

00:03:56Within the SPD, only trained and authorized SPD personnel can search

00:04:00ALPR data, and every search must include a

00:04:03case number, an incident number, a warrant number, or

00:04:07other approved identifier.

00:04:10We also maintain what's called a hot list, which contains vehicles associated with

00:04:14active criminal investigations.

00:04:17Officers must verify every ALPR alert

00:04:20visually before taking any enforcement action.

00:04:23An alert alone

00:04:28is not enough to initiate a stop. It's a lead.

00:04:32That requirement is explicit in our policy because accuracy and

00:04:35accountability matter.

00:04:38I also want to be clear how ALPR data may not be used.

00:04:41Our policy prohibits using ALPR technology to track

00:04:46individuals at protests, religious services, political

00:04:50activities, clinics, or any other constitutionally protected

00:04:53activity.

00:04:55Searches cannot be based on race, ethnicity, religion, political

00:04:59activity, or any other protected characteristic.

00:05:02These protections are built into our policy to safeguard your civil

00:05:06liberties.

00:05:08Oversight is a critical part of this program.

00:05:10Our inspections and internal affairs unit audits every ALPR search

00:05:14every month.

00:05:16The most recent audit, completed in mid-October, flagged 33

00:05:19entries for additional review, and all were found to be valid

00:05:23and an appropriate search.

00:05:26Importantly, the Springfield Police Department has never, let me repeat,

00:05:30never had a confirmed case of ALPR misuse since

00:05:34adopting the technology first in '07 and

00:05:37then again in 2012, expanding that use.

00:05:42That record matters,

00:05:43and we intend to keep it that way. If misuse was ever

00:05:47identified, the consequences would be swift and include disciplinary

00:05:51action and could include criminal charges.

00:05:56Our ALPR program operates under Missouri State law, including a

00:05:59recent executive order from Governor Kehoe and statewide best

00:06:03practices outlining ALPR use issued by the

00:06:07Department of Public Safety

00:06:09After reviewing both of those documents earlier this year, we determined

00:06:13that we are already in compliance.

00:06:16We also comply fully with state statutes related to misuse of official

00:06:19information and disclosure of closed records, including

00:06:23ALPR records.

00:06:26Now let's talk a little bit about impact.

00:06:28This system has helped SPD recover stolen vehicles, locate missing or

00:06:32abducted children, and identify suspects involved in violent crimes.

00:06:36In fact, any criminal activity. I sometimes refer to it as everything from

00:06:39hit-and-runs to homicides. They've helped us over the years.

00:06:44In the past four years, reports of stolen vehicles have dropped approximately

00:06:4850% in our community.

00:06:50It has shortened investigative timelines, provided critical leads in cases

00:06:54where time truly does matter.

00:06:57And I want to emphasize something very clearly.

00:07:00An ALPR alert is not the whole story.

00:07:04It's one piece of an investigative puzzle.

00:07:06It's a lead, an investigative lead.

00:07:09It is a lead that must be verified, supported with evidence, and followed by good,

00:07:13sound police work.

00:07:15To illustrate the value of this technology, here's just a couple of real examples

00:07:20here in Springfield.

00:07:22In February of 2023, detectives with our violent crimes unit were

00:07:25investigating a commercial robbery at the Papa John's on West Kearney.

00:07:30After reviewing security footage, detectives identified a possible suspect vehicle.

00:07:34They used ALPR data from the Flock system to match that vehicle description

00:07:38to a license plate. Because of that lead and the investigative

00:07:42work that followed, the suspect was identified and taken into

00:07:46custody that very same day.

00:07:50On May 4th, 2026, an officer received a Flock safety alert on a vehicle that

00:07:54had previously been stolen at gunpoint.

00:07:57After verifying the alert, the officer attempted a felony traffic stop

00:08:01of that vehicle.

00:08:03The suspect fled.

00:08:04After a brief vehicle and then foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody

00:08:08without further incident. Again, the ALPR hit was not the

00:08:12conclusion, it was a starting point that allowed officers to act quickly

00:08:17and safely and resolve both those situations.

00:08:21In addition to these cases,

00:08:23these examples, our most recent 30-day snapshot of ALPR

00:08:28use here in Springfield shows kind of day-to-day investigative work.

00:08:32So here's an example. Between September 26th and October 26th, the

00:08:36system performed 1,992 searches.

00:08:41383 of those remained after duplicates

00:08:45were sorted out.

00:08:47Of those, 95 vehicles were connected to existing

00:08:51SPD reports, which generated 55 new

00:08:54investigative leads.

00:08:57During the same time period, ALPR alerts assisted officers in

00:09:01identifying and recovering 17 stolen vehicles and recovering

00:09:0519 more vehicles or license plates.

00:09:08The technology contributed to an additional two arrests, one vehicle

00:09:13repossession,

00:09:15and provided critical information in a fatality crash investigation.

00:09:20These numbers reflect what we see consistently.

00:09:23ALPR is not theoretical. It delivers practical,

00:09:27real-world results that help our officers solve crimes, recover

00:09:30property, and respond quickly when lives may be at stake.

00:09:36There's perhaps no more poignant example of why every minute can matter

00:09:40than the tragic abduction and murder of 10-year-old Hailey Owens in

00:09:442014.

00:09:46Hailey's case remains one of the most heartbreaking tragedies in our community's

00:09:50history,

00:09:51and we honor the memory by continuing looking for ways to make our community

00:09:55safer and hopefully avoid such a tragic event from ever

00:09:59occurring again.

00:10:00At the time Hailey was abducted, the Springfield Police Department did not have

00:10:03access to widespread ALPR technology that's

00:10:07available today. An eyewitness had provided investigators with an

00:10:11accurate license plate number for the vehicle that was involved.

00:10:15However, because the vehicle was actually registered to the abductor's

00:10:18parents, that information initially led investigators to a different

00:10:22direction

00:10:24and lost precious time.

00:10:26We can never know with certainty what might have happened had today's technology

00:10:29been available then, but I believe it is reasonable to recognize that a

00:10:33modern ALPR system could have provided investigators with a useful

00:10:37tool to help locate that vehicle quickly and potentially

00:10:41change the course

00:10:43and the outcome of those critical minutes.

00:10:47No piece of technology will ever replace well-trained police officers.

00:10:50That's why we should view ALPR technology not as a substitute for good

00:10:54police work, but as one more tool that can help officers act

00:10:58more efficiently, effectively, when every second matters.

00:11:04Most importantly, our commitment to using that technology legally,

00:11:07responsibly, by men and women acting with integrity should

00:11:11always be measured against its purpose:

00:11:14protecting people and making our community safer.

00:11:18These examples highlight how ALPR technology enhances our ability

00:11:22to do that, protect the public. But they're just a glimpse into its broader

00:11:26impact.

00:11:27Across countless investigations, ALPRs

00:11:31have provided timely information to help officers do their jobs more effectively.

00:11:36If the city were to end this program, we would lose an important investigative

00:11:40resource that consistently delivers when they matter most.

00:11:44Finally, I want to address how the community can stay informed and remain involved

00:11:48on this and any other issue.

00:11:51Regarding our Flock cameras, our updated transparency portal includes

00:11:55policy documents, the camera locations, audit information,

00:11:59and system usage statistics.

00:12:02Residents can also contact the police department, engage with us at community

00:12:05events, reach out to city council, or request public records

00:12:09when permitted by law.

00:12:11While ALPR images themselves are closed records under Missouri law,

00:12:15we're committed to providing as much information as possible about how the system

00:12:19works, how it's used,

00:12:21and what the results are.

00:12:23In closing, I want to be clear, technology does not replace good

00:12:27policing,

00:12:28but it can enhance it.

00:12:30Our approach to ALPRs is rooted in this responsibility, accountability,

00:12:34and transparency. We use this tool to protect the public,

00:12:38and we do so within a framework that respects privacy, adheres to

00:12:42strict policy, and undergoes continuous oversight.

00:12:48Today's announcements about data sharing, camera locations, policy revisions,

00:12:52and transparency upgrades are part of our ongoing commitment to

00:12:56earn and maintain your trust.

00:13:00Thank you, and I'm happy to entertain any questions you might have.

00:13:04Yes, ma'am.

00:13:05Can you walk us through the exact changes to the standard operating

00:13:08guidelines

00:13:10in comparison to the version that it was before?

00:13:13What's different about it now versus-

00:13:17Probably the...

00:13:18And I can get you a side-by-side if you want to look at that.

00:13:21Probably the most

00:13:24significant changes, like I said, it hadn't been updated since 2013, so

00:13:28we included those very specific

00:13:31reasons that you can search.

00:13:34Warrant number, case number, incident number, to do the tracking.

00:13:37We tightened up our audits, where before

00:13:40it was

00:13:43annually, and then as needed if someone

00:13:47decided that they wanted to check and thought something might be out of the

00:13:49ordinary, to require those on a monthly basis.

00:13:53We tightened up our data sharing. Before,

00:13:57if an agency requested

00:13:59sharing with our data and they were in the Flock network, I pretty much just

00:14:02authorized that. Tightened that up to just those agencies that

00:14:06reciprocate. And

00:14:08while the network is great, and we have seen some benefit in nationwide

00:14:12sharing, within the state of Missouri and in our adjoining states is really

00:14:16where most of our benefit comes from. So we tightened those things up.

00:14:21Off the top of my head, those are the things, I think.

00:14:23And then I can't forget actually posting the camera locations.

00:14:27When we first got these,

00:14:29I didn't want criminals to know where they were. I'll be honest with you.

00:14:30I don't want them avoiding those locations.

00:14:34As it became more of a public concern about where they were and what we were doing,

00:14:38it made sense to let the citizens know, the law-abiding citizens, here's where they

00:14:42are. If they don't want to be observed for whatever reason,

00:14:46they can avoid those locations. And to be honest with you, I don't think criminals

00:14:49are looking at our transparency portal anyway.

00:14:50So we've mapped those out there for everybody to see.

00:14:55Yes, ma'am.

00:14:55How do you balance the community's concerns with your needs, and why do

00:14:59you think this is a good compromise?

00:15:01It's a constant battle.

00:15:05Everything we do is balancing individual liberties and

00:15:09the public's right to know and to see.

00:15:12And that's something that since policing has been around.

00:15:15We always walk that fine line about what can we

00:15:19use, what do we need to make people safe, solve crimes.

00:15:22And we have guidelines and safeguards, everything from

00:15:26case law to statutory changes, to guidance from our elected

00:15:30officials on what, when, where, and how.

00:15:32So this is just one more example of that.

00:15:35And we take that

00:15:37constant

00:15:40updates and continuous

00:15:43questioning to heart and make sure that we can answer those

00:15:46concerns,

00:15:48and not go too far afield either way.

00:15:54Or is there something else? Yeah.

00:15:55I just want to ask, do you know the number of agencies that you

00:15:59were sharing information with before and what it's down to now?

00:16:03I know that's a very number-specific-

00:16:06Yeah, and I'm going to...

00:16:08I think we're

00:16:09now we're about

00:16:12under 700.

00:16:14I think the number was

00:16:17at least double that originally.

00:16:22And it really, the

00:16:24public's questioning in safety and security and privacy,

00:16:29that's one thing I really took a hard look at, and I was surprised at the number of

00:16:32agencies that had reached out and said, "Hey, we got Flock, we want to share." And

00:16:36then

00:16:37we looked, and they weren't sharing their data.

00:16:39So that was real easy, cut them off.

00:16:42There's a reason we can't control if we're not sharing reciprocally.

00:16:46So,

00:16:47and then within the state,

00:16:49it's pretty easy. We have a really good network, and we were the first agency in

00:16:53southwest Missouri, so the smaller entities around us have really benefited from

00:16:56our system as they've come on board.

00:16:59So trying to maintain that network

00:17:02and the ability to solve crime because criminals don't stay within a city

00:17:06or a state or a county. They travel.

00:17:08And as even some recent examples in the news you may have seen,

00:17:13people traveling even across state lines have been caught by the use of these

00:17:17cameras, and it's really a good thing.

00:17:19Yes, sir.

00:17:20You mentioned we're sharing with adjoining states.

00:17:22Does that mean we're not sharing with any federal agencies?

00:17:25Correct.

00:17:27And it's built into our contract. If you don't have Flock,

00:17:31first off, then you can't be in the Flock network, and you can't share.

00:17:36And as far as I know, this is off the top of my head now,

00:17:40there are no federal agencies that have installed cameras because they don't have

00:17:43the jurisdiction and location to do that.

00:17:45So,

00:17:46we share with

00:17:48local county and state agencies.

00:17:51Yes.

00:17:53Do you know how many SPD staff currently are authorized to

00:17:57use the Flock system to search?

00:18:00I'm looking at

00:18:02one of my majors. If I don't have the right number, it would be our investigators,

00:18:06patrol officers, and some non-sworn investigative staff.

00:18:11And I

00:18:12was just going to say all of our sworn staff, certainly.

00:18:14But our non-sworn staff are crime analysts and some of our investigative service

00:18:17specialists. So there are some non-sworn

00:18:21Civilian employees or professional staff that assist with investigation.

00:18:25But really, to answer the first part, every sworn officer goes through

00:18:29the training and has access.

00:18:33Yes, ma'am.

00:18:34I know you've been talking about the transparency portal, and I know a question

00:18:37that a lot of viewers would have is how often are you guys looking

00:18:41to update this and make sure that things stay as transparent as possible as we move

00:18:45into the

00:18:46future?

00:18:46Update the portal?

00:18:48Yeah.

00:18:48How often are

00:18:49you- Whenever there's a change.

00:18:52For example, we have two cameras that are down because they run on MoDOT

00:18:56poles, that MoDOT replaced the poles, took the cameras down.

00:18:58We haven't reinstalled those. So those aren't up there.

00:19:01So as soon as we get those back up, then we'll update the

00:19:04locations.

00:19:05If there's an agency that we add or drop, that's an immediate that day.

00:19:10I have a sergeant that manages that site.

00:19:13And if there's any policy changes, we would update those as well.

00:19:19Yes, ma'am.

00:19:19What about concerns of our data, Springfield

00:19:23data, being misused by other agencies that you share it with?

00:19:26Sure. I understand that, and I've had that question before, and I can't control

00:19:30what other people do.

00:19:34If we found out that someone did, we would immediately cut off their access and

00:19:39assist them in investigation to pursue charges up against

00:19:43that person.

00:19:47We could just be in-house and just our officers.

00:19:51It kind of defeats the purpose of

00:19:54an enhanced investigative tool. So we monitor that closely.

00:19:57I'm watching the news just like you guys do.

00:19:59If there's something somewhere around the country and somebody's identified those

00:20:03incidents that have happened,

00:20:05we're immediately going, "Okay, are we sharing with that agency?" Then we're

00:20:08cutting it off.

00:20:09That's the best we can do. We certainly, as best practices within

00:20:13the state of Missouri, the governor put out the executive order and

00:20:18the best practices, so we can confirm that a little

00:20:22bit better with our local agencies.

00:20:24A lot of them

00:20:26copy our policies anyway, so pretty comfortable there.

00:20:29Outside the state, yeah, that's a concern, and we'll continue to look at that on

00:20:34a daily basis, see if there's a reason to limit access in the future.

00:20:39Yes.

00:20:40I think you mentioned that there had been a 50% decrease in the number of stolen

00:20:43vehicle reports. Is the thought there that these cameras, their presence serves

00:20:46as a deterrent to car theft?

00:20:47Oh, absolutely. Once again, it's a tool, and it's one thing.

00:20:50And we've had lots of efforts in the past few years about stolen vehicles,

00:20:54encouraging people to take their keys and lock their cars up, and

00:21:00kind of putting some more investigative resources in there.

00:21:02But when we're looking at the immediate recovery of a car, we can

00:21:06track that back, that the officer stopped that car because it was a Flock hit.

00:21:10Okay?

00:21:12And kind of track that. And I think that's one of those things I do

00:21:15think criminals do pay attention a little bit to what's going on.

00:21:19And they know that's out there, so maybe they're going somewhere else or doing

00:21:21something different.

00:21:24All those things together have had a reduction.

00:21:29Please don't mishear. I wasn't saying the 50% reduction was due just to our

00:21:32AOPR, but that's certainly one thing that's had a factor in that.

00:21:37Yes.

00:21:39Is the potential canceling of the Flock contract with

00:21:43the alone standing cameras alone, is that something that's potentially on

00:21:47the table in the future?

00:21:49Not as far as I'm concerned. But that certainly would be up to our elected

00:21:52officials if they wanted to go in that direction.

00:21:54I know

00:21:55there was concerns about it. There was a resolution put forward that's in

00:21:59committee. I'm waiting to hear from that group to have that

00:22:02discussion and see where we're going to go with that.

00:22:04But

00:22:05my hope would be that,

00:22:09as I've seen some other communities, and I'll characterize it as a knee-jerk

00:22:12reaction

00:22:13in some places where they just, without any discussion, said, "We're not going to

00:22:16do that anymore." I think we're more about

00:22:22hearing from all sides, making well-informed decisions, and

00:22:26then we'll see where that goes from there.

00:22:27But

00:22:29I'm confident that we'll be able to have that well-informed discussion, and then

00:22:32we'll see what the decision is later.

00:22:37All right. Time for one more question.

00:22:40Okay.

00:22:41If no one else has one

00:22:42. I'm looking for anybody else just in case. All right, go ahead.

00:22:45So obviously this includes the facial recognition technology.

00:22:49So that would be integrated into

00:22:50the- No. And there's a lot of misinformation, a lot of

00:22:54stuff out there that people spew forth that has no basis in fact, and that's one of

00:22:58them. It's taking the picture of the license plate in the back of a car.

00:23:01Does it capture other vehicle information?

00:23:04Sure, but there's no facial recognition captured pictures.

00:23:07We don't use facial recognition technology as part of our AOPR program.

00:23:11I know that funding was approved for the Clearview AI, which is facial

00:23:14recognition. So can you talk about how those are-

00:23:17That's a completely different topic, and that wouldn't be connected whatsoever.

00:23:20That's an investigative tool used by our investigators and our crime analysts.

00:23:24When you have

00:23:25surveillance footage of someone, it allows them to

00:23:29search databases and try to match that up with someone

00:23:33quicker, as opposed to clicking through a computer

00:23:37mouse and going through images. That's what that is.

00:23:40It's an efficiency tool.

00:23:43Thank

00:23:43you. All right. Thank you, everybody.