Idaho Falls law enforcement officials are standing by their use of automated license plate reading technology even as privacy advocates threaten legal action and demand the cameras be disabled within weeks.
The Idaho Falls Police Department operates 13 Flock Safety cameras at various intersections throughout the city, while the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office maintains nine additional units. The Atlanta-based company’s technology captures and catalogs vehicle license plates, storing images in a searchable database that state law requires be purged every 30 days. Police Chief Bryce Johnson said the cameras went live roughly a year ago to aid in investigations and locate stolen vehicles or suspects.
Twin Falls and Pocatello deployed similar license plate readers before Idaho Falls, with Pocatello operating 33 or 34 cameras and Idaho Falls’ configuration aligning with what would be typical for a city of its size—approximately 35 units. The technology has been in use across Southeast Idaho for about a decade.
Privacy Concerns Over AI Training Clause
The dispute centers not on the cameras themselves but on language buried in the city’s contract with Flock Safety. The agreement grants the company an “irrevocable, worldwide license” to use collected images as training data for its artificial intelligence software—a provision critics argue violates Idaho code by permitting commercial use of automated license plate reader information.
The controversy erupted publicly in early June when residents aired concerns about the contract’s legality during a City Council meeting. In response, the city’s legal team released a statement on June 19 asserting no compliance violations existed. However, the pushback intensified. At a July 9 City Council meeting, local resident Brian McKellar delivered an ultimatum: deactivate or physically cover the cameras by July 29, or face tort claims seeking $1,000 per photograph captured.
City Attorney Zachary Jones acknowledged the legitimacy of the concern and announced the city is now reworking the agreement. “We’re in the process of amending the contract that we have with Flock Safety to get rid of the clause that allows Flock Safety currently to use data that’s gathered from our Flock Safety cameras to be used to train its Flock Safety AI software,” Jones said.
Law Enforcement Position on Public Roadways
Police Chief Johnson defended the camera placement and operation, emphasizing that the technology functions only on public right-of-way. “There’s not a right to privacy on a public roadway. They are set up to look at specific intersections,” Johnson said, citing the July 1 date of his comments to media.
The cameras form clusters at strategic locations, including a trio positioned at the 17th Street and Hitt Road intersection. Police say the systems have proven valuable in locating stolen vehicles and assisting with criminal investigations—cases that included pursuit of a man accused of leaving a dealership with a $100,000 truck.
What Comes Next
The city appears committed to resolving the contractual dispute. The amendment to strip Flock Safety’s AI training access represents a concrete step to address the core privacy objection. However, the July 29 deadline set by opponents presents a tight timeline for contract renegotiation and approval.
Bonneville County residents and legal experts will likely watch closely whether the amended agreement satisfies privacy advocates or whether the threatened litigation proceeds. The outcome could influence how other Idaho jurisdictions—and law enforcement agencies statewide—structure agreements with license plate reading vendors moving forward.
The dispute also occurs in a broader climate of scrutiny over law enforcement technology. Other recent cases highlight tensions between public safety tools and constitutional questions, including challenges to Idaho’s execution methods and detention facility conditions.