GASTONIA, N.C. — The Gastonia City Council is set to vote Tuesday night on whether to implement the Flock Safety System.
The crime fighting project would cost around $148,500, which would be funded by a COPS Grant through the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Gastonia Police Department said the system of cameras is a cutting-edge platform which uses automatic license plate recognition and video analytics to enhance public safety.
The Flock system allows officers to detect suspect vehicles in real time, consolidate video feeds through community partnerships with businesses and more, and access a network of nearly 6,000 cameras shared across agencies. The goal is to achieve faster crime-solving, better investigations, and improved collaboration between departments.
If the implementation is approved, the tool has the potential to modernize Gastonia's crime prevention and response capabilities.
WCNC Charlotte has previously reported that the city of Gastonia already has 21 Flock cameras equipped with plate readers to capture license plates. Earlier this month, city leaders approved a proposal that allows the purchase of 22 cameras for the police department. These newer video cameras will have the ability to zoom, record, and better follow suspected criminal activity.
The department said in 2023, the cameras were used in 122 cases. Among those cases, 55 of them have been solved.
Contact Richard DeVayne at rdevayne@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.