APD's plate reader technology assists in shooting arrest, but spurs City Council debate

    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) -- The Asheville Police Department (APD) continues to use a relatively new license plate reading system called Flock.

APD has had a similar operation, Axon, in its patrol cars for close to a year. The two pieces of software are funded, in part, by an annual Department of Justice Assistance Grant.

In 2024, the DOJ found APD eligible to receive a 2024 award. The funds that came with that are likely to be utilized to expand on a new Real Time Information Center (RTIC). The idea of the center was a topic of discussion during the most recent Asheville City Council meeting.

"I wonder if anyone shared my concerns during this moment,” councilmember Kim Roney said during the session. “Especially when it comes to the security of data, [the] privacy of our residents and how this federally funded equipment might not be exclusively used by our staff."

“What you do is you actually de-escalate the risk for officers and our citizens,” councilmember Bo Hess responded. “You’re removing the need to send an officer blindly into a dangerous situation.”

“It is definitely our concern to use this new tool appropriately,” said Joe Silberman, APD captain. “How do we respect privacy, but also use this tool reasonably within the bounds of the law?”

Flock and Axon use a national network of known criminals, as well as stolen plates and cars, to find the whereabouts of those suspects in real-time.

This tool was most recently used Saturday afternoon after Elijah Paul Foster allegedly shot a man at Hillcrest Apartments in Asheville.

“We got detectives to the scene,” Silberman said. “We began combing it. We were looking for any evidence that could ID our shooter.”

Flock located the vehicle that Foster got away in.

“We checked it, and it gave us a lead almost instantly,” Silberman said. “We were really able to cut down on time that it would’ve taken to lead us to a suspect and a viable charge.”

The 32-year-old suspect was quickly located and arrested thanks to a network of stabilized cameras across the city.

“We were able to collect important evidence,” Silberman told News 13. “We got a gun off the streets. The more time in between a crime and an offender has to get away, the more things go missing. It’s less likely that we would’ve recovered critical evidence that helps us with a conviction later.”

The system not only helps with arrests but also staffing.

“We don’t have officers that can stand on every corner,” APD Law Enforcement Technology Specialist James Wingo told News 13. “Let’s say you have a license plate reader on a corner, then that helps us find our suspect. We have numerous vehicles that have been found or located that were stolen or license plates that are stolen.”

Wingo said he and others in the department meet with attorneys to ensure the tools are being used legally. APD says it continues to train its officers to use Flock to its fullest potential.

“We’re implementing because we have another license plate reader system. We’re also pushing that training out,” Wingo confirmed. “That way, the officers will know every aspect of how to use this system. The more officers use it and become familiar with it, the easier it is for us to understand. We have to be cognizant of how criminals use technology as well. We don’t want them to get in front of us.”