BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — AI-powered Flock safety cameras are expanding in Hardin County, which are devices that can help track down wanted criminals or suspects just by spotting the license plate of their car.

What You Need To Know

  • Another 20 Flock safety cameras will come to Elizabethtown, totaling up to around 40

  • The city's police have been using flock cameras since February 2023

  • The AI-powered technology can identify a person and their criminal records by viewing their license plate number and will track wanted criminals or suspects of an investigation

  • They will be placed in various locations including busy intersections and school campuses, such as John Hardin High School

Elizabethtown Police have been using Flock cameras since February 2023, which Chief Jeremy Thompson said have been a massive success.

The AI camera technology can identify a person and their criminal records by viewing their license plate number. Officers can be alerted about their whereabouts if he or she is a suspect of an ongoing investigation.

There will be about 20 additional cameras throughout the city, which will be in various locations such as busy intersections and school campuses such as John Hardin High School.

Radcliff Police Chief Jeffrey Cross said he hopes the enhanced security will cut down on crime.

“If you got 12 cops on the street or 10 cops on the street, how many more you got out there?" he said. "If you add 10 or so cameras on the streets, how many more eyes you got out there? We hope these don’t only help during investigations, but also serve as a deterrent.”

The expansion of the Flock cameras in Hardin County follows the proposed House Bill 45 in Frankfort. Among other things, the bill stipulates that information gathered by Flock cameras can be kept for only 30 days. The bill is to prevent technology from overstepping its boundaries.

However, the Flock camera program already abides by these standards, Thompson said. 

“When we partner with Flock, we’re agreeing to their service on how we retain data," he said. "I personally have not seen anything overly concerning that would change how we are doing things.”

The Flock cameras would also be able to spot anyone on school property who might pose a threat, such as sex offenders or people with restraining orders.

Hardin County Schools Superintendent Terrie Morgan pointed to a time in March 2018 when an armed person was on school property. Having Flock cameras in this situation could've alerted officials much quicker, she said. 

“We were alerted by the police department, but it was three phone calls to get on lockdown," she said. "We were very fortunate that it was done in a timely manner ... but this probably would’ve saved two or three minutes, which could be life and death, to be honest.”

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