Pinehurst’s new Public Safety Technology Committee began its work November 4 with a discussion of police technology, including Flock license-plate cameras and a proposed drone-response program, according to reporting by The Pilot.
The committee was established following community questions about surveillance technology. Mayor Pro Tem John Taylor, the Village Council liaison, emphasized that its work extends beyond Flock cameras to other technologies used or considered for public safety.
Chief Explains Flock Camera Use
Police Chief Glen Webb told committee members that nine automatic license-plate readers were deployed in the village, with a tenth unit not in use at the time of the meeting.
Webb described the cameras as an investigative tool that can help identify vehicles associated with criminal cases and generate leads. The images include license-plate information, vehicle make and model, and the time and location of a camera capture.
According to Webb’s presentation, the cameras do not use facial recognition. Officers must conduct additional work in separate databases to investigate registration information and determine who may have been driving.
Committee Reviews Search Audit and Retention Policy
Webb presented the department’s audit for July 1 through September 30. The audit recorded 49 searches involving five vehicle tags: 48 investigative searches and one administrative test. One of the five tags resulted from a typing error during a search.
He said searches require an associated case number and are restricted to detectives and supervisors. Webb also described a department policy of retaining camera images for 30 days before deletion.
Camera Locations Could Change
Webb discussed potentially moving camera coverage toward major entrances to the village, including roads around the Pinehurst Traffic Circle and other principal routes.
He indicated that relocation costs could push that work into the next fiscal year. The discussion outlined a potential approach rather than a completed relocation.
Drone Response Remains a Proposal
The committee also discussed a draft policy for a Drone as a First Responder program. Under the proposed approach, a drone could respond alongside officers to help assess conditions before they arrive.
Webb estimated that a drone could reach locations throughout the village within approximately two minutes. That was an estimate presented during the discussion, not a guaranteed response time.
No final decision on the drone program had been made at the meeting. Further action would require Village Council approval.
Where Residents Can Learn More
Residents can review information about the department’s license-plate reader program through the Pinehurst Police Department’s Flock transparency portal.
