Lexington police take Council questions on camera technologies

Wed, May 3, 2023

Crime & Justice, Local Government, News

Lexington Times Web Editor

WEKU | By Stu Johnson

https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s362/audio/2023/05/p050323sjpolicecamera.mp3

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Members of a Lexington City Council committee got briefed on police technologies Tuesday. The review focused on license reading cameras and the use of existing traffic cameras.

Lexington Police Commander Matthew Greathouse said the full array of 100 FLOCK license reading cameras should be operational in the coming weeks. He told the Social Services and Public Safety Committee those cameras along with the traffic cameras will be used only for public safety events.

“Unless there’s a call for service or there’s a special event that requires a police presence we’re not going to be looking for…looking through the cameras looking to see what’s going on. Our people have plenty of other work and other jobs within the agency to keep them fully occupied,” said Greathouse.

Greathouse said video can be saved for two months, possibly longer if it’s deemed as evidence for a criminal case. He said an average of 250 hit and run cases per month require some time to review.

When asked about a certain section of town being over-policed with cameras, Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said those same areas may feel over-victimized.

Police Chief Lawrence Weathers updates the Social Services and Public Safety Committee Tuesday. (LexTV screenshot)

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Top photo: Lexington Police Commander Matthew Greathouse offers technology presentation to Council committee. (Stu Johnson for WEKU)