Ask about Apex's license plate camera pilot 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at Town Hall. What the cameras record, how long data is kept, where it stands.

Apex residents can put their questions about the town’s license plate reader cameras to a member of the Town Council on Thursday, Oct. 22.

Council member Edward Gray will hold office hours on public safety and the town’s Automated License Plate Reader program from 5 to 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 73 Hunter St. The town’s calendar listing for the office hours says it will be an open forum for questions, feedback and discussion. No formal presentation by town staff is planned.

Updated Oct. 24: The Town Council’s agenda for its next regular meeting, Tuesday, Oct. 27, carries no license plate reader item. The town has not posted a summary of the office hours. See the Oct. 27 agenda packet.

The cameras have been a main topic at the council’s public forums since August. The town says it is running a pilot and weighing which company to use as the pilot term nears its end.

What happens at the office hours

  • When: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22
  • Where: Apex Town Hall, 73 Hunter St.
  • Who: council member Edward Gray, who sits on the council’s Public Safety Committee
  • Format: open questions and discussion, with no staff presentation

Gray’s council page lists the same event. The town has not said whether police staff will attend.

What the town says the cameras do

The town answers the question on its Apex Answers page. It says the Apex Police Department uses the cameras to find stolen or wanted vehicles and to help with criminal investigations.

According to the town:

  • the cameras photograph the back of vehicles on public roads to read the license plate
  • they do not photograph drivers and do not use facial recognition
  • the data is generally kept for 30 days, unless a specific police investigation needs it for longer
  • officers may use the system only for law enforcement purposes, under department policy
  • every search is logged, so use of the system can be reviewed
  • misuse can lead to discipline
  • authorized agencies in other jurisdictions can share vehicle information through the system

The same page says the town is “currently operating a pilot program, reviewing the results, and evaluating vendor options as we approach the end of our current pilot term.”

How the debate has built

Residents have pressed the council on the cameras since August.

  • Aug. 11: More than 20 people spoke at the council’s public forum. Their comments focused largely on the future of Fire Station No. 1 downtown and the plate reader program, according to the town’s recap of the Aug. 11 meeting.
  • Sept. 22: Seven people spoke, and the cameras and the company Flock were the main subject. The town’s recap of the Sept. 22 meeting lists concerns about privacy, data security, constitutional rights, trust in the vendor, misuse of the data and wrong plate reads. Several speakers asked the council to drop the technology. Some opposed renewing the Flock contract or replacing it with another company. One speaker supported the town’s use of Flock cameras.
  • Oct. 1: The council’s Public Safety Committee took up the program as a “discussion only” item, with Police Chief Ryan Johansen, according to the committee agenda. Mayor Jacques Gilbert chairs the committee and Gray is its other member. The town had not posted a summary of that discussion by Saturday.

No vote on the program’s future has been scheduled. The plate readers were not on the agenda for the council’s Oct. 13 meeting, and the Oct. 20 council work session has been canceled, according to the town’s calendar notice.

What it means for you

  • To ask a question in person, go to Town Hall between 5 and 7 p.m. Thursday. There is no sign-up listed.
  • To speak to the whole council, use the public forum at a regular meeting. The council meets at Town Hall on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month; the next is Oct. 27. Agendas are on the town’s agendas and minutes page.
  • To reach the right office, see our guide to who to call at Town Hall. Police reports for Apex are on our Police and Fire log.

We will report what the town decides about the program when it comes back to the council.