Opelika council clarifies camera systems: Verkada renewal not tied to Flock; police explain vehicle-tracking use

Council members asked questions March 3 about a renewal for the city's security and access system and about separate camera systems used in and around Opelika. Staff said the Verkada access/security controls in the renewal are already in place across city properties, rely on fobs and locking doors, and do not use facial-recognition technology.

"It does not use facial recognition," staff said when asked to clarify the system's capabilities. IT/Facilities staff explained that camera video is retained 30 days unless it is part of an investigation, in which case it is downloaded and stored in the police evidence system.

The council and staff distinguished Verkada from Flock cameras. A police department representative described Flock cameras as LTE units used by both public agencies and private businesses that capture vehicle characteristics and license-tag data and are used primarily to support felony investigations. The officer said searches in the Flock system are officer-initiated, require a case number, and are logged for supervisor oversight to prevent misuse.

The police representative estimated the system has assisted on a large number of cases since adoption (he stated roughly "900,000 cases"), and said the department uses the tool mainly to investigate crimes involving vehicles and to track out-of-town suspects with partner agencies.

Next steps: staff indicated Steven (administration/IT) could answer technical contract questions; no policy changes to camera systems were adopted at the March 3 meeting.