Chelan County Sheriff’s Office to install Flock cameras in Chelan

CHELAN — In a special presentation on August 26, Undersheriff Dan Ozment briefed the Chelan City Council on the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office’s (CCSO) plans to deploy Flock brand automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras at key points in the Chelan Valley, part of a countywide network intended to speed investigations, recover stolen property, and aid missing-person alerts.

A Flock ALPR captures vehicle data such as plate number, make, model, color, and notable features (for example, bumper stickers or toolboxes). Ozment emphasized the system’s investigative use and limited access. “It’s a way for us to look to see if a [suspect’s] vehicle has passed through an area,” said Ozment. “They are not live recording cameras.”

According to Ozment, the CCSO intends initial placements including one at Lakeside, one at Les Schwab, and two at Pat & Mike’s. He noted that the devices are directional and positioned to catch traffic in a single flow. “At Pat & Mike's, we’ll capture outbound traffic,” he said.

Ozment said the cameras can trigger on Amber and Silver Alerts and that data sharing is restricted to customer owners and law-enforcement agencies. He told councilmembers that information is not shared with ICE. “This is not a surveillance tool,” Ozment added.

He offered a recent example to illustrate how the system works: “We received information about a $180,000 boat that was stolen.” Using Flock data, deputies were able to follow the associated pickup and trailer into East Wenatchee, he said.

The undersheriff also pointed to other jurisdictions’ experience as a benchmark for results. “Yakima has 46 of them in use and has already helped them solve three homicides. “We are ready to install.”

Sheriff Mike Morrison underscored the potential to shorten response times in critical incidents, referencing the Decker case. “We would have had him when he turned onto Icicle Road,” Morrison said. He added that Omak investigators have also cleared a homicide with camera information.

The Sheriff’s Office plans to proceed with installation pending final coordination with city staff on siting and signage. The CCSO said the system’s purpose is to generate investigative leads in a timely manner — especially in the case of violent felonies, stolen vehicles, and missing-person alerts — while operating under access limits and audit trails, not for live tracking of residents.

On Sept. 2, during a workshop session, the City Council authorized Mayor McCardle “to engage with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Department regarding the installation of Flock cameras within the city limits.”

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media