NAMPA, Idaho — Nampa Police are giving neighbors a closer look at the city’s Real-Time Crime Center during an open house Tuesday.
The center has operated for about two and a half years, giving officers access to traffic cameras and automated license plate readers throughout the city.
Nampa uses cameras and software from Motorola and Rekor, not Flock. Lieutenant Chad Shepard said the systems serve the same general purpose and that the department’s decision against Flock was financial.
“The primary reason we didn't choose Flock was cost prohibitive,” Shepard said.
The traffic cameras allow police to check intersections and respond to crashes or other problems. License plate readers can help officers investigate crimes, locate stolen vehicles and determine where a vehicle was recorded.
The system does not use facial recognition, according to Shepard.
The blue boxes visible around vehicles on the camera feeds highlight motion. They do not identify the people inside.
“Here's, here's the big topic I would like to impress upon that is there is no facial recognition in our cameras,” Shepard said.
Traffic camera recordings are retained for 14 days. License plate reader data is retained for 60 days.
Shepard said officers must provide a lawful reason when searching license plate information. The department audits those searches twice a year, reviewing who accessed the system, when it was accessed and the reason for the search.
WATCH: Go inside Nampa Police’s Real-Time Crime Center and see what its cameras can and cannot do
Shepard said increased public interest and questions about the cameras prompted Tuesday’s open house.
Neighbors who want to attend should arrive at the Nampa Police Department at 6 p.m. Police will take small groups through the crime center and answer questions about the system.
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