The Rise of License Plate Readers in Arkansas
License plate readers are increasingly being adopted across Arkansas to assist law enforcement in solving crimes. While privacy concerns remain, many police departments support the use of this technology.
Channel 7 News has reported on several cases involving license plate readers, including a situation where a Cleburne County family felt their privacy was violated because a reader was directed toward their property. Another incident involved a mistake made by a license plate reader in Sherwood, which led to the wrong vehicle being pulled over by police.
Despite these issues, Sherwood Police Captain Scott Hicks is a strong advocate for the technology. He explains that the cameras do not use facial recognition or biometrics and are not used to track individuals. "It gives us a way to give someone back to their families," he says.
One of the most commonly used systems is Flock Safety. According to a recent social media post by the Sherwood Police Department, there are currently 429 Flock cameras in Central Arkansas and 1,051 statewide. In Sherwood alone, there are 15 Flock cameras. Since the city began using Flock, the cameras have helped locate five missing people, recover seven stolen vehicles, and identify 25 wanted individuals since 2022.
Hicks notes that some of those found were juveniles or elderly individuals with dementia. He explains that many of the cameras are placed at major entry and exit points of the city, as criminals often need to come in or leave after committing crimes.
The relationship between Sherwood and Flock started with a single case. In 2020, during an investigation into a double homicide, the department worked with another agency that had access to a license plate reading system. "We asked if they could check their cameras for a specific license plate, and it turned out to be just a few blocks away," Hicks recalls.
This experience led the department to consider adopting the technology. Flock cameras also played a role in a recent aggravated assault case, where the software helped identify a vehicle connected to the crime.
How Flock Cameras Work
According to Hicks, Flock cameras only require a description of a vehicle or a license plate to help locate it. "We can input that information and see when the vehicle entered or left the city," he explains.
For example, if a crime occurred at noon, and a vehicle with the license plate ABC 123 passed through a reader at 12:08, investigators can determine its location. The software can then trace the vehicle's path through other cameras in the city.
"Each officer can set up alerts in their car," Hicks says. "The app will notify them if a stolen car or a wanted person is spotted, giving them a brief description and even a thumbnail image."
However, Flock cameras are not without flaws. In February, a camera in Sherwood mistakenly flagged a vehicle as stolen due to a small error in the license plate. The make, model, and color matched the stolen vehicle, but the camera misread an 'X' as a 'Y' because the license plate frame obstructed part of the plate.
"The camera read what it could see," Hicks explains. "The obstruction was against the law in Arkansas, so we can't allow that."
Since the start of 2026, Sherwood's 15 Flock cameras have read 29 million license plates. Hicks claims that the February incident was the only false positive they've encountered.
Data Collection and Privacy Concerns
Another concern involves how data is collected and shared. Hicks states that Flock cameras in Sherwood store data for 30 days. "After that, the information is no longer accessible," he says.
While the data is shared with all law enforcement agencies in Arkansas, access is restricted to authorized users who must provide a reason related to an active investigation. "It's only when we're looking for a specific vehicle that we access the data," he explains.
Hicks adds that the cameras only capture the rear of vehicles, as Arkansas does not require front license plates. This means the system cannot identify drivers.
Following the February incident, the Sherwood Police Department created a transparency portal for Flock Safety.
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