Flock AI cameras Public Comment 2 from Jerry FinkAimee Brunckhorst
From: Ryan Hunter
Sent: Monday, August 3, 2026 11:02 AM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: Fw: EXTERNAL Fwd: Flock Al cameras
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
Council,
Below is a public comment I received regarding the proposed LPR system.
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From: Jerry Fink <jerryfinkl2@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, August 3, 2026 5:26 PM
To: Ryan Hunter <rhunter@kalispell.com>
Subject: Re: EXTERNAL Fwd: Flock Al cameras
Dear Mayor,
I am writing as a concerned resident regarding the City's proposal to purchase an
automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera system. Like many others, I have been
trying to understand exactly what system the City intends to purchase and how it will
affect the privacy of the people who live here.
During recent discussions, it has been stated that the City has not selected Flock Safety
However, it has also been acknowledged that approximately $70,000 has already been
budgeted for this project while, at the same time, there appears to be uncertainty about
which camera system will ultimately be purchased.
That raises an important question. How can a specific budget be established for a
technology that has not yet been selected? If the vendor has truly not been chosen, what
information was used to determine the project's cost? From the public's perspective, it
creates the appearance that the decision may already have been made, even if that is not
the City's intention. Greater transparency would help build trust.
From what I understand, the City is considering the Axon ALPR 3 system rather than
Flock Safety. While they are different products made by different companies, they are
similar in many of the ways that concern residents.
Similarities
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• Both systems automatically capture license plate numbers from passing vehicles.
• Both record the date, time, and location where a vehicle was observed.
• Both allow law enforcement to search historical vehicle movement data.
• Both can generate alerts when vehicles associated with criminal investigations are
detected.
• Both expand investigative capabilities through connected camera networks.
• Both raise legitimate privacy concerns because they can create a record of the
movements of ordinary, law-abiding citizens.
Key Differences
Flock Safety
• Primarily emphasizes a nationwide network of participating cameras.
• Commonly marketed to neighborhoods, HOAs, businesses, and municipalities.
• Focuses on cloud -based searching across participating agencies.
Axon ALPR 3
• Integrates with Axon's broader public safety ecosystem, including body cameras, in -car
cameras, digital evidence management, and dispatch software.
• Designed to fit into agencies already using Axon technology.
• Provides similar automated license plate recognition capabilities through a different
platform.
Regardless of the manufacturer, the end result is much the same: vehicles are
automatically photographed, license plates are recorded, and travel data can be stored and
searched.
Montana has long valued personal liberty, individual responsibility, and limited
government. Many people choose to live here because they appreciate the freedoms
associated with a state that generally favors less government regulation and less
government intrusion into the daily lives of law-abiding citizens. Communities like
Kalispell have attracted families and businesses precisely because they offer a different
way of life than many larger cities with expanding surveillance programs.
While technology can be a valuable tool for solving serious crimes, there is a legitimate
concern that widespread automated surveillance gradually changes the relationship
between citizens and their government. Today's safeguards may not always exist
tomorrow, and technologies introduced for one purpose can often be expanded over time.
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This proposal deserves careful public discussion —not because residents oppose law
enforcement, but because they value both public safety and personal privacy.
I respectfully ask the City to answer several questions before moving forward:
1. Why has approximately $70,000 already been budgeted if the camera system has not
yet been selected?
2. What vendors are currently under consideration?
3. What data will be collected?
4. How long will the information be retained?
5. Who will have access to the data?
6. Will other agencies be able to search Kalispell's data?
7. What independent oversight and auditing will exist?
8. Will residents have an opportunity to provide meaningful public input before any
contract is finalized?
I fully support giving our law enforcement officers the resources they need to investigate
violent crime, locate missing persons, and keep our community safe. At the same time,
those tools should be implemented with transparency, accountability, and clear limits that
protect the privacy of innocent citizens.
I respectfully urge the City to slow this process, clearly identify the technology being
proposed, explain why funding has already been allocated before a vendor has reportedly
been selected, and allow meaningful public input before committing taxpayer dollars to a
system that could significantly expand government surveillance in our community.
Respectfully,
A Concerned Kalispell Resident
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