Council approves contract to install 16 license plate readers across city

JACKSON, Mississippi (WLBT) – Jackson Police will soon have a new tool in the fight against crime.

On Tuesday, the city council approved a deal with Flock Group LLC to install 16 license plate readers across the city.

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

The contract will be for two years and will include the installation of the cameras and the ability for the Jackson Police Department to connect those cameras to Flock’s countywide network, according to city documents.

Deputy Police Chief Wendell Watts said he used the devices when he was police chief in Gluckstadt and urged the council to approve the measure.

Thanks to these cameras, police officers were able to catch and arrest a suspect who came from Florida, committed a crime, and returned home.

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

Watts said Flock will also allow JPD to coordinate with other cities, neighborhoods and businesses that have installed the devices.

“It will alert us if a stolen vehicle or a hijacked vehicle enters your area,” he said. “It will alert us so we can get there quicker, so we can intervene without having to call 911.”

The cameras are planned to be installed in the next few months.

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