A special public meeting is planned for Monday, Jan. 5, in Florence to hear from residents about the city’s current use of Flock Safety automatic license-plate reader cameras.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince St., with a presentation about the technology from city staffers, followed by public comment. A regular City Council meeting is scheduled after the special meeting.

Law enforcement leaders in Eugene, Springfield and Lane County made separate announcements in December that they would not move forward with Flock Safety cameras despite having entered into agreements with the company.

While police have praised the technology as a valuable tool in fighting crime, citizens in Eugene and Springfield voiced privacy concerns about data possibly being used to target vulnerable groups.

The mounted street cameras collect data, allowing police to search by license plate and vehicle description to determine if a vehicle passed by a location monitored by a camera. The Flock Safety system also provides police with alerts for stolen vehicles spotted by the cameras or other vehicles sought in connection with a criminal or missing persons investigation.

In Florence, one Flock Safety camera was installed in April 2024 near the U.S. Highway 101 and state Route 126 intersection, according to materials from the city in advance of Monday’s meeting.

Last year, a grant from the Three Rivers Foundation provided funding for five additional cameras and two years of Flock Safety services, with three cameras recently installed and two others pending, according to the city.