Stay or Go? Benson PD using Flock license plate readers despite some objections

Benson residents will continue living with Flock license plate readers positioned around the city, even after the City Council rejected a contract that would have renewed the technology through Axon. The council approved a revised Axon agreement on Monday, but only after removing the license plate reader component. That decision secured the police department’s body camera and other basic technology needs without placing Flock into a new 10 year contract. The existing Flock system, however, remains active, leaving the broader question of whether the cameras should stay in Benson unresolved.

The dispute reflects a growing debate in Cochise County over how law enforcement should use automated license plate readers. Flock systems scan vehicle plates and can help police identify cars connected to criminal investigations or missing person cases. Multiple cities in the county, as well as Cochise County itself, have canceled their Flock contracts after community members raised concerns. Benson has taken a different path so far. Its contract with Flock remains in place, and the readers continue operating throughout the city.

The technology became part of a larger Axon contract discussion. Axon supplies the Benson Police Department with equipment and services including body cameras, Tasers and storage platforms. The city initially considered an Axon renewal that also included the license plate readers. When the council did not approve that agreement, Benson returned with a version that removed the readers. Police Chief and City Manager Greg Volker said the revised contract was intended to provide officers with the equipment they needed without allowing the license plate issue to prevent the city from securing those essentials.

Councilman Derrick Fenn has been one of the strongest critics of keeping the cameras. He said he has heard concerns from Benson residents about privacy and has raised those issues with Volker and during council meetings. Fenn also questioned whether the city should spend limited public funds on technology that remains controversial, especially as local budgets face pressure. His position is not only that the readers raise privacy questions, but also that city leaders should examine whether this is the best use of money when other public safety needs compete for funding.

The city has changed its policy governing the sharing of information collected by Flock. Volker said Benson narrowed the policy so data cannot be shared outside the city, except when another law enforcement agency requests the information. The revised policy addresses one of the concerns raised during the council’s discussions, although it does not remove the cameras or end the city’s contract with Flock. The readers therefore remain available to Benson police under the city’s current arrangement, with information sharing limited under the updated policy.

Volker said Benson police have used the readers in 25 cases that produced positive results. Those cases included efforts to find missing people and identify suspects. He argued that the system gives officers another way to determine which vehicle may be connected to a crime, helping investigators avoid putting an innocent person in jail. Volker also said the Cochise County Attorney’s Office requires more than probable cause to pursue a case, a safeguard he cited as part of the process for ensuring that the correct person is prosecuted.

Fenn does not consider Monday’s contract vote the end of the issue. His goal is still to have the license plate readers removed from Benson. He said he wanted the city to approve the Axon agreement without the cameras so officials could eliminate the Flock equipment rather than simply switch it to another platform. The current outcome separates the two matters: Benson has preserved its Axon services, while the Flock system remains in operation under its existing contract.

That leaves Benson in a different position from much of the rest of Cochise County. If Benson eventually removes its readers, Tombstone and Willcox would be the only cities in the county that still use Flock license plate readers, according to the report. For now, Benson police retain a tool they say has helped in missing person and criminal cases, while residents and some council members continue to question the privacy and financial costs. The city is not scheduled to begin examining its next budget until next year, when the spending decision could receive renewed attention.