Council approves contract to install 16 license plate readers across city

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Jackson Police will soon have a new crime-fighting tool at their disposal.

The City Council on Tuesday approved a contract with Flock Group LLC to install 16 license plate readers throughout the city.

The measure passed unanimously and comes just weeks after the council set aside funds to purchase the devices as part of its 2024-25 budget.

According to city documents, the contract will run for two years and includes installing the cameras as well as allowing the Jackson Police Department to connect those cameras to Flock’s nationwide network.

Deputy Police Chief Wendell Watts urged the council to approve the decision, saying he used the devices himself when he was Gluckstadt’s police chief.

Thanks to these cameras, officers were able to locate and arrest the suspect who traveled from Florida, committed a crime, and returned home.

“It’s a nationwide system. We can put things in that will only be visible to the city, but we can also put them in the National Crime Information Center,” he said.

Watts says Flock would also allow JPD to coordinate with other cities, as well as neighborhoods and businesses where the devices are installed.

“It will notify us if a stolen vehicle comes into your area or if a car is stolen,” he said. “It will notify us so we can get there faster, so we can respond without calling 911.”

The cameras should be installed within the next few months.

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