Lakeland has a new layer of security as Flock cameras are being installed at 20 locations throughout the City this week (5.15.20).
Flock Safety out of Marietta, GA has been installing poles for solar-powered cameras which were purchased by Lakeland as part of an annual $40,000 contract. The data will be monitored by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) and not by elected officials or city staff.
According to Josh Miller, Flock public relations, the cameras operate 24 hours a day and are solar-powered, motion-activated cameras that take snapshots of a vehicle’s make, model, color, state, license plate, and aesthetic damages with a timestamp. “They can also be connected to local law enforcement to send real time alerts whenever a wanted person or stolen vehicle passes by the cameras,” he said.
Mr. Miller added, “All the footage capture goes to a secure cloud for 30 days and is deleted immediately and permanently with no exceptions. Flock Safety doesn’t access cameras without explicit written permission from the customer and also never shares or sells data to third parties. The customer completely owns the footage and Flock does not.”
Three neighborhoods in Lakeland purchased their own cameras from Flock: Cool Springs, Herons Ridge and Oakwood. There are also cameras in Germantown, Collierville and Memphis, according to Mr. Miller.
Commissioner Wesley Wright said, “I have been a supporter of security cameras since it proved effective for my neighborhood in Mid-town over 10 years ago. As a block club leader I wanted to take a proactive stance since we had issues with occasional burglaries including my house.
“The critical part of the security system was a sign placed at a highly visible location that let people know there was surveillance. Deterrence is best rather than dealing with solving the crime later, but if a crime did occur you have a better chance of catching the criminal(s). Since then other options, often more expensive, became available for purchase and could be seen in residential and commercial areas. One brand in particular was utilized by MPD (Memphis Police Department) but was cost prohibitive.
“As we moved to Lakeland it was something I would bring up as an option to elected leaders, and after elected I looked into more economical options. The goal was to find a company that could offer a quality camera at a great price point thereby making a network feasible. In 2017 and 2018 I researched several options but could not find an appropriate camera but in early 2019 was introduced to Flock by a resident and amazed at the software, quality and low cost. In June 2019 I brought it forward for s a discussion at a BOC meeting. It went through various iterations from June until it was finally moved forward as a discussion item in November 2019.”
Commissioner Wright said camera locations can be changed if the data suggests more appropriate locations.
… Photos by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents
