File photo of a license plate reader camera.
FOX 2 - Sterling Heights police say Flock cameras helped in the arrest of a shooting suspect Friday morning.
The backstory:
Officers responded to a shooting of an 18-year-old in the area of Eastbound Hall Road near Schoenherr at 5:36 a.m.
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators used license plate reader cameras to track down the suspect's vehicle.
"Due to the quick response by multiple police agencies, witness information, Flock automated license plate reader technology, and the diligent work by Sterling Heights Police, a subject was taken into custody less than three hours after the incident," said a statement released by police.
The identity of the suspect has not been released pending charges filed by the prosecutor's office.
The investigation continues and anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Geldmacher at 586-446-2848.
How do Flock cameras work?
Dig deeper:
Photos are snapped of every passing vehicle, while artificial intelligence then catalogs the state license plate, plate number, vehicle make, model, color and records unique appearance details. This could mean dents.
AI extracts the plate number, state, vehicle make, model, color, and specific traits like dents.
When vehicle descriptions are reported, the information is cross-checked by AI which results in a "hit" for investigators.
Flock camera controversy
What they're saying:
Police say that the cameras are not used for traffic enforcement, they do not take photos of the vehicle's occupants and there is no facial recognition technology.
Despite the reassurances that the cameras don't capture faces, the technology has led to some stereotyping fears, worries about how data is being stored, and concerns about the surveillance of innocent people.
Some critics of Flock cameras have gone beyond City Council meetings, illegally vandalizing them by breaking the readers or in some cases cutting them down.
Screenshot from TikTok account @DebateHer.
LPRs in other cases
Big picture view:
Ferndale officials credited Flock cameras with helping solve several big crimes, namely a murder in the city and a double murder in neighboring Hazel Park.
In May, an armed carjack suspect wanted in Lake Orion was tracked down in part, due to license plate reader cameras which indicated the suspect's vehicle was heading northbound, then flooded that area with support.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard credited the hit that the roadside cameras produced with being able to locate and flood the area with police and taking the suspect off the streets sooner.
The Source: Information for this story is from Sterling Heights police and from previous coverage of license plate reader camera cases.