A proposal to implement license plate reader (LPR) technology in Minot was tabled Monday night after a lengthy and intense City Council discussion balancing the promise of public safety against the risk of potentially eroding civil liberties. The council voted 5-1 to pause any contract with Flock Safety, the proposed vendor, until a formal usage policy is brought back for approval.
Interim Police Chief Dale Plessas and Flock representative Kristen McCloud presented the system as a modern investigative tool that could help Minot Police locate wanted suspects or missing persons in real time. They also emphasized that safeguards such as limited access, third-party audits, and a 30-day automatic data purge could be included and adjusted.
But Alderman Mike Blessum raised serious concerns about misuse, citing national examples where similar technology was abused by officers to stalk individuals. Blessum argued the city should not expend funds until it has a fully vetted policy in place, but questioned whether even the most robust policy could prevent harm. He compared it to overreaching pandemic-era safety measures that came at the cost of individual freedoms saying, "Even with the best safeguards, this kind of system only helps after something’s already happened, after someone’s liberty has already been violated. That’s the trade we’re being asked to make: a little more security in exchange for a lot less freedom. And once we go down that path, it’s hard to turn back."
Supporters of the system, including Council Member Lisa Olson, pointed out that residents are already tracked in more invasive ways by commercial entities and existing surveillance tools. Others, like Alderman Paul Pitner, expressed cautious optimism but echoed the need to review policy first and referenced past child abduction cases where LPR technology might have helped, saying “I see the value in a tool like this, if it can help bring a missing child home faster, that matters, but we have to get the policy right first. We can’t give this kind of power to a system without knowing exactly how it’ll be used, who’s accountable, and what protections are in place.”
Ultimately, the council found grounds on a compromise: no LPR cameras will be installed or activated until a concrete, publicly reviewable policy is drafted and approved. Chief Plessas indicated that crafting a policy would take about a month, but couldn't guarantee the agreed upon contract price would be the same when it is revisited.
