Arkadelphia police chief addresses surveillance system amid Fourth Amendment controversy

A controversial surveillance tool used by numerous police agencies across the U.S. — also to be put to use soon in Arkadelphia — will not jeopardize local citizens’ privacy, the city’s top law enforcement officer assured.

The City of Arkadelphia joined some 5,000 municipalities in the U.S. when it contracted with Flock Safety in 2024 for the installation of eight surveillance cameras capable of capturing images of passing vehicles, reading their license plates and detecting visible features like colors and dents. The technology sends alerts to the Arkadelphia Police Department within a matter of seconds of spotting a vehicle reported stolen or being driven by a fugitive.

The surveillance appears on the surface to be an excellent crime-fighting tool, but news outlets this week reported one Arkansas town agreed to remove at least one of many cameras after a family complained it violated their their constitutional rights.

KARK reported that a Greers Ferry couple’s complaint captured the attention of the Institute for Justice, which in turn penned a letter to city officials demanding the license plate reader pointed toward their Cleburne County home be removed because it subjected their property to warrantless surveillance, threatening their Fourth Amendment rights.

In August 2024, The Arkadelphian reported that local police would be combatting crime with the Flock Safety system. Asked this week for an update on the surveillance program, Arkadelphia Police Chief Jason “Shorty” Jackson said utility work throughout the city has delayed installation of the system.

But, he said, once the system is installed and operating, residents need not be worried about undue government surveillance to their homes.

“Every effort was made in the planning process to ensure these cameras are not pointed at residences,” Jackson said, noting the eight cameras will be positioned “in commercial districts with high traffic flow.” The chief remains tight-lipped about the exact locations of the cameras. Jackson said APD is waiting for the Arkansas Department of Transportation to approve permits for the proposed camera locations.