KUNA, Idaho — Automated license plate readers like Flock and Axon cameras have been appearing across Idaho, and Kuna is the latest city to see the new technology installed.
Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford said the department recently installed 20 Axon cameras across Ada County, including seven in Kuna. The cameras photograph vehicles and their license plates as they pass by them.
Some Idahoans have been raising concerns over privacy and surveillance in response to this new technology.
“Completely understand the concern, you know, it’s very big brother sounding,” Clifford said.
“One thing that people always say is well I don’t like that you’re tracking my movements. We aren’t tracking your movements and we can’t track your movements."
WATCH | Hear what neighbors and the Sheriff have to say about this new technology
According to Clifford, only a select group of people have access to the Axon system. Photos are currently deleted after 60 days and can only be accessed during an investigation or while searching for a missing person.
“If a car goes through there and we don’t need to use that data for an investigation, it just gets deleted. So we’re not making some kind of database of everyone’s movements all the time,” Clifford said. “It’s not looking inside your car. It’s not taking photos of people.”
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The Ada County Sheriff’s Office also opted out of sharing data with Axon or other agencies, making the system accessible only to the sheriff’s office.
“People that aren’t breaking the law, people that aren’t doing anything wrong, are basically being mass surveilled by their police,” Kuna resident Amy Schultz said.
Schultz says she is concerned about privacy and questioned the need for the technology.
“Well, they have it backwards because they’re actually just tracking people living their daily lives. If you wanna catch the bad guys, catch the bad guys and get a warrant,” Schultz said. “The police can police us just fine without them, they have for years.”
She said she wishes residents had been given a say before the cameras were installed and wants to see them removed.
“I think the citizens of Kuna needs to have a say and from what I’ve seen, their opinion is that we should do something else besides have these cameras installed in our community,” said Jon Failing, a Kuna resident who owns Phasma Cybersecurity.
He argued that the cameras violate the community’s Fourth Amendment rights.
“I don’t know that the cost or the discomfort for the community involved is worth it,” Failing said.
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Dozens of residents also commented on a social media post about the cameras. Some supported the technology, calling it a useful tool for law enforcement and saying they had nothing to hide. Others raised concerns about potential abuse of the system.
Caskey asked Clifford about those concerns and how the department monitors searches within the system.
“So if someone’s searching me every day for a month, is that something that’s gonna be caught?” Caskey asked.
“So that’s a good example, if somebody says hey, I’m gonna look for where Brady is at every day for a month — that’s gonna be a big red flag,” Clifford said.
Clifford explained the department keeps tight control over access to the system and conducts audits to identify any misuse.
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The Ada County Sheriff's Office's Axon cameras are funded by taxpayers and cost the department $2,296.39 per year, per camera — in the form of a subscription that covers their installation, service and maintenance.
You can find the frequently asked questions on the topic answered by The Ada County Sheriff's Office here.
You can find more of our recent coverage on automated license plate readers across Idaho below.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
