By Chief Aaron Frost, Edgewood Police Department
As Chief of Police, I believe modern law enforcement must balance effective tools with clear limits and public accountability. The Edgewood Police Department utilizes Flock Safety, an automated license plate reader (ALPR) system, strictly as a public safety and investigative tool — not as a surveillance program.
Public trust is built on transparency and restraint. Tools like Flock are only effective when the community understands how they are used and, just as importantly, how they are not used. My responsibility is to ensure we employ modern technology to protect our community while honoring constitutional rights, privacy, and the values Edgewood expects from its police department. I’d like to address some questions that we have received.
How do Flock cameras benefit Edgewood?
Flock cameras add a 24/7 crime-fighting tool for our community. They alert on-duty officers to any vehicle entering our town that may be wanted in connection to a crime, suspected kidnapping, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, stolen vehicle, or subject with warrants for violent crimes. Flock provides objective data valuable when police build a case for prosecution — such as the specific date, time, and direction a suspect vehicle traveled into or out of Edgewood.
What do Flock cameras record?
Flock captures images of vehicle license plates and limited vehicle characteristics (color, type) to assist in locating stolen vehicles, missing or endangered persons, and vehicles associated with serious criminal investigations.
Does Flock use facial recognition?
No. It does not use facial recognition, does not identify or track individuals, and is not used for traffic enforcement, citations, or monitoring lawful activity.
How is my privacy protected?
Use of this technology is governed by New Mexico law, including the privacy protections outlined in proposed Senate Bill 40 (SB40), and by internal controls that restrict access to authorized personnel for legitimate law-enforcement purposes.
What happens to the data?
System use is logged and auditable. Data is retained for a limited period before automatic deletion unless tied to an active investigation. Information is not sold, shared for commercial purposes, or used for generalized surveillance.
Does Edgewood PD have a policy for use?
The department is actively finalizing a formal written policy to further document safeguards and ensure continued compliance with state law and best practices. Flock has internal safeguards that flag any possible misuse and alert the Chief of Police and command staff to conduct an immediate review. The system’s internal audit trail records the use and viewing of data.
Do other NM communities use this technology?
Communities across New Mexico are engaging with similar conversations — including Las Cruces and other parts of our state.
Edgewood PD is dedicated to keeping our community safe. As a smaller, more rural police department, responsible use of technology increases our ability to effectively fight crime. Edgewood officers patrol a wide area; Flock cameras provide additional support by alerting our officers to potential dangers in other areas of town so that they can respond swiftly. As Chief of Police, I and my command staff will regularly review the use and effectiveness of the Flock system for our community.