After weeks of discussion, Roseburg will continue its contract with the surveillance technology company Flock, which operates 15 cameras in the city.
The automated license plate readers have been in place in the city since 2023 and became part of a national debate over their use.
According to meeting materials, the cameras don't capture video or facial recognition data and aren't used for speed or traffic enforcement. They capture images of a vehicle's rear license plate, including make, model and color.
While supporters say the cameras are useful for law enforcement, others have concerns about privacy and misuse by police.
At a Monday City Council meeting, resident Jeff Wikstrom spoke in favor of the cameras.
"Technology itself isn't the enemy. What matters is how responsibly we use it and who we trust to use it," he said. "Let's give our police the tools to protect our community and give our citizens the assurance that their privacy will be protected too."
Most of the public comment was opposed to Flock, raising concerns about misuse by police.
"It opens the door to police errors, abuse and constitutional overreach," resident Jim Titus said. "You are being brainwashed to believe that surveillance equals safety. It does not."
The City Council voted 6-2 to continue the two-year contract, which expires in February 2028 and costs $75,000.
"Flock camera information being transferred to our police department through alerts is really helpful to our police department, and I think that it actually reduces the number of policemen needed to investigate crime," Councilor Tom Michalek said.
Police Chief Gary Klopfenstein has said Flock cameras have provided his department leads, including in an ATM theft, burglaries, a child abduction and a kidnapping. He said alerts for things like stolen vehicles, missing people, terrorist alerts and amber alerts are sent automatically to county dispatch.
An Oregon law passed earlier this year placed new restrictions on the cameras, including limitations on how long data can be retained.
Klopfenstein said the Roseburg Police Department shares data only with Oregon agencies, not any federal or private entities, and searches related to immigration or reproductive care are blocked.
"I also do trust Chief Gary and the members of the Roseburg Police Department. I would be very surprised if they misused any of this information or even had any temptation to misuse the information," Councilor Ellen Porter said. "However, there is some discretion here, and this is one of the aspects that I've been trying to raise here over the last couple of meetings."
There have been incidents nationally of the cameras being misused by police for stalking and other misconduct, but none in Oregon.
Josephine County and the City of Winston have both ended their contracts with Flock, and Shasta County is considering it.
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